Phoenix
by AnnieD68
Summary: Bit. He was bit. How will the group handle it? Will it bring them together or tear them apart? Is there any hope for a future in this nightmare they are living? (**Daryl/Glenn SLASH**) WARNING: This is TWD. People get hurt and people die. NO ONE is totally safe, as we all know. That said, I really do hope you like the story. Even if you don't like pairing, maybe give it a chance.
1. Chapter 1

**Phoenix**

Author's Notes:

**Please do not yell at, criticize or generally make me feel bad about the following:**

**1. This is slash. Yes, this includes sex.**

**2. This story includes some not-so-nice Carol, but probably not going as far as to call it "bashing."**

**3. Anything to do with religion or lack thereof.**

**4. This is slash, just in case you missed it above.**

**5. Liberties have been taken with plot. In this story Maggie and Glenn were not a couple.**

**6. "Daryl-ese" has been kept to a minimum (I think) just to keep you with the feel of his accent. Just sound it out.**

**Please just take a breath and go with the flow. In the famous words of Daryl Dixon: "Am I the only one zen around here? Good Lord!"**

_Sections in italics are memories or flashbacks._

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Blah, blah, blah. Don't own any of them, though I'd love to. Didn't get paid for this, though I'd love to.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

**BIT**

Neither could take his eyes off the blood running down from the open wound on Glenn's arm.

It had been close. Too close. But they had gotten away. Right? They got away.

"I didn't even feel it. I didn't know," Glenn said with an astonished look on his face. "It can't be a bite, right? I'd have known."

Daryl tore open the sleeve on Glenn's shirt near where the wound was. It was definitely a bite.

* * *

**COMING TO TERMS**

This is a nightmare. It has to be. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything they've been through. Not when he had finally found the love of his life. It's taken them too damn long to get where they are. Not even this world could be that cruel.

"Jesus. This ain't happening…this ain't happening…it ain't," Daryl said agitatedly as he paced back and forth. Maybe if says it enough, it would be true.

"How could I not know?" Glenn asks.

"I dunno. Adrenaline, maybe," Daryl sighed grasping his head in his hands.

"We both know what happens next," Glenn said quietly, fear lacing his voice. "You need to take care of me. I don't think I can do it myself."

Daryl looks at Glenn with complete devastation on his face. He places a hand on Glenn's cheek.

"I know what'll need to be done," Daryl whispers. "You'd do the same for me. I'll take care of ya, but not yet. I can't say goodbye yet. I ain't ready. I ain't never gonna be ready."

"Me either. I'm sorry."

"Nothin' to be sorry for. Ya didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm sorry I'm going to leave you. It's always harder on those left behind. Once I come to terms with it and I'm ready, my suffering is over."

"…and mine's just beginning," Daryl whispered. "I want to wait as long as we can." Daryl kissed him softly.

"Me, too. I'll let you know when it's time. I know you won't let me down."

Daryl sat with his back against the wall. Glenn sat next to him facing him. They had their arms wrapped around each other, Daryl almost cradling Glenn. Glenn leaned in close laying his cheek on Daryl's shoulder and pressing his face into Daryl's neck.

Daryl leaned down and took a deep breath, taking in Glenn's scent, trying to imprint it in his memory. He pressed a kiss to Glenn's hair.

And they waited.

* * *

**HOW IT ALL BEGAN**

Both were sitting quietly. They had such a strong connection that no words were necessary.

Holding his boy securely in his arms, he lets himself think back on when it all began.

_Daryl had returned to camp from looking for Sophia with wounds to his side, front and back, from an arrow running through him, and a nasty laceration on his head. He also was beat to hell, covered in bruises and abrasions._

_Surprisingly, he was fairly cooperative while Herschel closed his wounds. Glenn figured it was because he was exhausted and had lost a lot of blood more than anything else._

_For some reason Glenn decided he would take on the responsibility of seeing that Daryl got what he needed. He made sure he ate and took his medications. He even had to go so far as to help him sit up because the wound on his side made it too painful for him to get up by himself._

_To Daryl's horror, Glenn had to help him to and from the bathroom (as he emphatically refused to relieve himself in any other way). During one of these trips, Daryl was being more of a dick than usual._

_Glenn was not cowering as Daryl had expected. He managed to be unpleasant enough that the rest of the group was avoiding any contact with him. They weren't sure why Glenn was helping him and taking the abuse, but they were grateful._

_Glenn knows it's the pain or the needing help or a combination of the two._

"_Quit being an ass."_

_Daryl actually has the good grace to look sorry._

"_Please, just shut up and let me help you. You're hurting and you need some help. That doesn't make you weak."_

"_Ain't never had someone take care of me. Ain't never had someone care enough about me to do it. Just not used to it is all. Not sure how to do this."_

"_It's ok. Really. I know you have really tried not to be a part of the group, but you are. You need to be ok with that."_

"_S'just cause I can hunt and I feed em."_

"_I'll be honest. That was true in the beginning. But things change. You might have missed it, but you're one of us whether you want to be or not. Oh, by the way, we're friends now, so get over it." Glenn said with a grin. _

"_How the hell did that happen?" Daryl asked in an over-exaggerated tone of shock._

* * *

**THE WAITING AND THE PROMISE**

Glenn looked up at Daryl and held his eyes.

"You need to promise me that you won't do anything stupid."

"Like what?" Daryl asked innocently.

"You know what. Like get yourself killed."

"I ain't sure if I can live without ya," Daryl whispered.

"You have to promise me that you will," Glenn said looking into Daryl's eyes.

"How'r ya feeling, Chinaman?"

"I'm going to let that go considering the circumstances. A little warm, I guess. And don't change the subject, Redneck," Glenn said with a smirk.

"Noticed that, huh?"

"Yeah, like I noticed you didn't actually promise. Please, Daryl…" Daryl leaned in close to Glenn's ear.

"I promise, but it will only be my body that goes on. You will always have my heart."

* * *

_**A/N: Please review. Reviews are like chocolate - no such thing as too much! :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Phoenix**

_Author's Notes:_

_Thank you so much to all the readers. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story and I hope you are enjoying it._

_There's sex in this chapter. I tried to control myself and this actually ended up being pretty mild. I might make it smuttier in later chapters but you'll need to let me know if that's what you want. I can keep it mild like this chapter all the way up to super-smutty-smut (the really dirty kind that makes you blush and fan yourself). I'd love getting some feedback, so don't be shy. _

_Liberties with characters applies here: T-Dog isn't dead. Yea!_

_Thanks again, and now on with our story._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**WAITING**

They waited.

Glenn knew the fever started.

"It isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"R'ya hurtin'?"

"No, not really. Just a little achy." Glenn said with a little confusion. Daryl was relieved. He remembered what happened to Jim and that terrified him. He didn't know if he'd be able to hold it together seeing Glenn in pain.

Daryl was conflicted. He wanted to pray to any deity that would listen to make it quick yet he wanted every precious second he could get with Glenn.

* * *

**FLASHBACK – GETTING CLOSER**

Feeling safe and peaceful in Daryl's arms, Glenn let his mind wander.

_Glenn and Daryl's friendship continued to grow. Glenn kind of became Daryl's assistant with hunting. Actually a better word would be apprentice. He didn't just follow Daryl around doing things as told. Daryl was taking the time to teach him how to hunt and track. He was even teaching him how to use the crossbow._

_In turn, Daryl started going with Glenn on his runs. Daryl refused to let him go on his own anymore without any kind of protection or back-up. At first, Glenn was a little confused by his protectiveness, but he liked it. He also tried not to read too much into it._

_They just seemed to naturally work together. They were a good fit. Whatever it was, it worked._

_The members of the camp didn't seem to really notice, or they just didn't seem to care, that Daryl and Glenn were spending so much time together. The only thing they really seemed to care about was whether they were getting supplies or eating. In their defense, though, things were still very tense between their group and the Greene family._

_The only person who seemed to show any kind of interest in their connection was Carol. To Glenn it seemed like she was always vying for Daryl's attention. He kept his encounters with her to a minimum, only communicating enough to answer questions, drop off the products of their hunts, and such. The fact that Daryl didn't seem to take much notice gave Glenn a warm feeling, and that could lead to all kinds of complications. _

_They had gone hunting again and Daryl had worked with Glenn on using the crossbow. Daryl was helping him site the target by standing behind him. He had his arms wrapped around him and Glenn was trying, without success, to ignore how good it felt. He could feel Daryl's warm breath caressing his neck. The warmth of his breath seemed to seep into Glenn's body and the heat he was feeling quickly headed south and pooled in his groin. _

_Yeah, he was in trouble. Serious trouble._

* * *

**GOING CRAZY**

Glenn couldn't hold back the tears.

"I don't know why it's taking so long! I'm going _crazy_. Why isn't it happening? Have I gone crazy? Am I crazy?"

"No, ya ain't crazy. Or we both are." Daryl continued to hold and comfort Glenn.

"What's going on? How much time has gone by?"

"'Bout 4 hours."

"And I barely feel anything. Not even close to what Jim went through. I don't understand," Glenn said desperately.

"I don't understand what's happening either – or actually _not_ happening," Daryl said. He placed a gentle kiss on Glenn's lips and pulled him closer.

They continued to hold each other and wait.

At nine hours, he was still fine. He had been bitten, and he was still fine.

At twelve hours, the fever abated.

At 24 hours, they returned to the prison.

* * *

**NOW WHAT DO WE DO?**

"Now what do we do?" Glenn asks.

"Don't know. Ya think we should tell 'em?"

"It's too big of a secret to keep, isn't it?"

"Maybe. It's cold though so long sleeves ain't gonna draw attention. Maybe we should just see how it goes."

"I think if we do tell them, they'll completely freak out," Glenn said. "Hershel may be the voice of reason, but the rest…I don't know. I'm not sure I'd even blame them."

"Longer we wait, the more we can show that nothin's wrong."

"They might think I'm not safe no matter how much time goes by. They might make me leave."

"If they do, then we leave."

"I said make _me _leave, not _us_ leave."

"There ain't no me or you. There's only us. We're a package deal. We both stay or we both leave, end of story."

"You can't do that."

"Hell I can't!" Daryl said emphatically. "Where you go I go, no matter what."

* * *

**FLASHBACK – FINALLY TOGETHER**

_Daryl grabbed Glenn's arm as he passed near Daryl's tent and he pulled him inside and confronted him. _

"_What the hell's been wrong with you the past couple of days?"_

"_I'm not sure what you mean," Glenn said not making eye contact._

"_Yeah, ya do. You've been avoiding me," he said, getting into Glenn's personal space._

_Glenn's eyes closed of their own volition and his breathing sped up slightly. That was the reaction that Daryl was looking for. He leaned in and kissed Glenn. The kiss started out gentle but quickly grew passionate. Daryl pulled back and looked into Glenn's eyes._

"_Tell me," he said._

"_I can't," Glenn whispered._

"_Yeah, ya can. Say it," Daryl said pressing harder into Glenn, molding their bodies together. Glenn inhaled Daryl's scent. His senses went into overdrive. Daryl was too close and too warm. It was too much and Glenn couldn't stop himself._

"_I love you. I'm in love with you. I don't know when it happened, it just did." Glenn saw Daryl take a breath as his lips parted. "You don't have to say it. I don't expect you to feel the same way."_

"_The fact that I'm pressed up against ya close enough that we could wear the same clothes should tell ya I'm ok with it. I waited a long time for this, for you. Waited a lifetime. I have ya now and it was worth the wait. You were worth the wait."_

_Daryl leaned in and kissed Glenn. He gently laid them down onto his sleeping bag and pulled Glenn's weight on top of him. Every touch felt like an electric current running between them._

_Clothes were shed: fabric straining, buttons flying, clothing launched across the tent. Then they were naked. Blessedly, skin to skin. Finally._

_It was all warm hands, passionate kisses, murmurs, moans, and panting breath. They were slick with sweat, easily sliding against one another. There was heat and pressure and friction. It was almost overwhelming. They were delirious with need._

_Daryl rolled them over and looked down at Glenn. God, he was breathtaking. Glenn gazed up at him._

"_Never wanted anyone like I want you," Daryl said breathlessly._

"_Then take me. I'm yours."_

_Glenn's leg parted and Daryl slid between them like he was made to be there. He fit perfectly. He kissed his mouth, his jaw, his chest, working his way down to where Glenn needed him most._

_As lotion-covered fingers worked in and out, Daryl found what he was looking for. He applied just the right amount of pressure and Glenn almost jumped out of his skin._

_He moved back up and leaned over Glenn. Never breaking eye contact, he slowly pushed forward. Sliding into Glenn was like coming home. It was where he always should have been and where he always would be._

_There was movement and countermovement. Sliding together as one. There were gentle caresses, light and passionate kisses, moans and prayers, and names on lips as they fell over the edge._

_All they knew was each other. It was all-consuming. They existed only for each other. There would never be another._

* * *

**RETURN TO THE PRISON**

They finally reached the prison in the late afternoon. By that time they had been gone for nearly 2 days.

The group members all ran up to meet them.

"Oh my God! Where have you been?" T-Dog asked.

"I was…we were so worried," Carol said pointedly to Daryl only. She completely ignored Glenn.

"Sorry, got a little side-tracked is all," Daryl replied.

"Yeah, it wasn't safe to come back," Glenn added. "We just had to wait it out."

"Well, you're here now, safe and sound, thank God," Maggie said with relief clear in her voice.

Everyone seemed to accept their vague explanation. They were just glad to have them both back. Well, except for one. For Carol, having one of them never come back would make her very happy.

They all took what they said at face value. Rick, however, had uneasy feeling. He sensed that they were hiding something.

* * *

_**A/N: Pease review. Reviews are like chocolate. Chocolate = happiness. Happiness = inspiration. Inspiration = more writing. More writing = faster postings. Everyone's happy. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**Phoenix**

Author's Notes:

_Thank you to my many readers. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story._

_OK, so in this chapter we go from not-so-nice Carol to bad-Carol. It just worked out that way for this story. _

_As always, reviews are welcome. I would love to hear from you._

_Onward we go…_

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

* * *

**GROUP'S REACTION**

Carol walked past Glenn and Daryl's cell just as Glenn is pulling on a long-sleeve shirt over his tee-shirt and she sees the healing bite. Carol gasps and starts shouting for the rest of group.

Her adrenaline was pumping, but not for the reasons as everyone else. This is her chance to get rid of Glenn once and for all. Inside, she was smiling.

The group gathered down in the common area. It was chaotic and loud. Rick tried to take control of the situation.

"Hey…Hey! Let's all calm down and find out what's going on."

"He has a bite," Carol shrieked. "There's not much to discuss."

"Yes, there is," Rick replied.

"Glenn, how could you not tell us? How could you think about hiding this?" Carol growled.

Daryl's protective mode kicked in. He stood and leaned toward Carol. "Don't be blamin' him for this. We talked and _we_ decided we'd have to figure it out before we said somethin'. No one was hidin' anything from anyone. We was just trying to figure it all out…what to do…who to tell…when and how."

"Glenn deceived us all," Carol said, glaring at Glenn.

"Like when Rick neglected to tell us we're all infected?" Daryl didn't intend to throw Rick under the bus, but he needed them to put it into perspective. "He didn't intend to keep us in the dark forever. He was waiting for the right time and place, tryin' to figure it all out."

"You lied to us all," she spat at Glenn.

Daryl stepped in. "_We_ didn't lie to you, but _we_ didn't tell you everythin', least not yet. Was just trying to figure out what to do. I figured that the more time that passed the less ya'll might freak out. Don't be layin' all the blame on Glenn. I talked him in'ta waitin'."

"We decided together." Glenn jumped in to defend Daryl. "We didn't want to keep it from you, we just needed some time."

Carol continued to push. "Glenn has to go."

Rick looked around at the faces and saw confusion and conflict. "Wait. Let's look at this rationally."

"Rationally?" Carol persisted. "He was bitten. He needs to leave or we will have to take care of him," she says rather coldly.

Daryl jumped up. "Hold on. That ain't happenin'. You're not gonna touch him!"

"Then he has to leave." This could be her only chance to get rid of him. It was the perfect opportunity. She just needed the others to see it her way.

"That ain't your decision to make."

"We can't just banish him," T-Dog interjected. "That would be a death sentence."

"I agree with T-Dog. We can't do that," Maggie added.

"He already has a death sentence," Carol hissed.

T-Dog looked at the group. "Don't we all?"

"He's dangerous. He might turn and take us all with him," she continued.

Glenn looked around the room. "If that's your decision, we'll leave."

Daryl turned to Glenn. "Let's get our gear together. We'll head out first light."

It seemed like everyone got up and started talking at once. Most seemed to be trying to stop Glenn and Daryl from leaving.

"Wait," Hershel said waiving his hands to indicate for everyone to just sit back down. "First, let's see what the facts are. What do we know? He was bit but it is healing, correct?" Glenn nods at Hershel and shows him the wound. "How long ago?"

"Almost 2 weeks," Glenn responded.

"Did you get sick?" Rick asked.

"Barely. Just a low fever that lasted about 12 hours. I was also a little achy, nothing else. Can barely even call it being sick."

"Since then he's been healthy…walking, talking, eating, sleeping…ya'll seen him," Daryl added.

Hershel continued. "Well, what ya'll were told at the CDC was that no one went longer than eight hours. He's gone nearly two weeks. I'd say that if it was gonna happen, it'd have happened by now."

Carol threw her hands up. "But you don't _know."_ She knew she was losing this battle.

"Of course I don't," Hershel said, "but how much do we know about any of this?"

T-Dog looked around at the group. "So what do we do now?"

"Nothing," Rick said. "Although I do hope that Glenn and Daryl both agree to keep us in the loop on any changes."

"Understood," Daryl send with a firm nod.

* * *

**STRAIN ON THE RELATIONSHIP**

Glenn stomped down the hallway with Daryl hot on his heels.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Glenn shouted at Daryl. "I told you we're through. I don't love you anymore. Get over it!"

"Hell no. You quit tryin' to push me away. It ain't gonna work. I'm not leaving you. I love you. I'm _in love_ with you. Pussy as it sounds, you're my soul-mate. Never believed in that 'fore you. _I ain't goin' nowhere!_"

At that point, Glenn just looked exhausted. He sat down hard and looked up at Daryl with resignation on his face. They had been arguing for hours and he was just plain worn out.

"We don't know what's going on. We don't know if it's safe. You need to stay away," Glenn dejectedly.

"Let's get one thing straight. That ain't gonna happen."

"We can't ever be 'together' again. Do you get that? No sex. The best I can do is give you a hand-job, but that's it. No sex, not even oral. I can't risk giving you something. Just because I haven't gotten sick yet doesn't mean I won't. It doesn't mean I can't give you something, like, I don't know, transfer the bite to you. I could be carrying something we haven't even thought of yet. I can't ask you to live like that."

"I ain't with you for sex. We were never just about sex._ I_ _love_ _you_. I don't care if we can never have sex again. We can take care of our own needs in that respect. That doesn't mean we can't be together. We can still talk," he said approaching Glenn. "And touch," he said placing his hand on Glenn's cheek. "And kiss," he said lightly kissing his jaw, then his cheek, then his lips. "And hold each other," he said wrapping his arms around Glenn and pulling him close. Glenn leaned into the embrace.

"We don't even know if kissing is safe."

"We been kissin' since you got bit. Too late for that," he said with a grin. "And I'm never gonna stop kissin' you."

"I didn't mean it when I said I don't love you anymore," Glenn said with a sadly. "I love you so much it hurts."

"I know you didn't mean it."

"You deserve more," Glenn whispered.

"There isn't 'more' for me. You're everything," Daryl said holding him tighter.

* * *

**SHOULD THEY EXPERIMENT?**

Maggie, Beth, and Carol were working on checking the inventory of their supplies.

"I wonder what would happen if he got bit again," Maggie said.

"What?" Carol asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

Carol thought about that and saw another chance. "Maybe we can do some kind of test. Maybe he should get bitten again and see what happens."

Daryl overhears and storms in.

"What the hell are ya thinkin'?" Daryl hisses. "You can't just experiment on him like some lab rat."

"Calm down. That's not what we're saying," Maggie said.

"Sounds like it. Would you want it done to you or your family? I thought he was your friend. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"He _is_ our friend, but this could mean so much," Carol responded.

"I'm startin' to doubt that you are his friends. Real friends wouldn't do this. Real friends wouldn't think of doing this. And let me tell you, he ain't _just_ my friend. I love him and you're not going to do that."

"I think we have to try," Carol argued.

"You try it, and I'll kill you. You touch him over my dead body."

* * *

**ABDUCTION**

A month had passed and things seemed to be settling back down into a normal routine. Glenn's bite wound had healed completely. Some were still keeping a close eye on Glenn, but not like before. The group from Woodbury was becoming more comfortable there. As a whole, they were becoming more relaxed each day.

The man watched the interactions of the other group. He hadn't been at the prison long, being from the group that came from Woodbury, but he had been there long enough to determine that he needed to act.

He decided that his best chance at gaining access to his target would be through the woman with the short hair. She seemed to also have similar feelings so she might make a good ally, as long as she proved useful.

They were working in the kitchen preparing the evening meal when the man approached Carol.

"I have seen how you look at him. I can tell that you don't like the Asian man. We are kindred spirits, you and I."

"Why would you think that?" Carol asked warily.

"You believe he needs to leave. I agree. I can take care of that. It is my mission. He should be in hell and I can send him there."

Carol looked at him. "You wouldn't be over here if you didn't need something from me."

"You are a smart woman. I knew we would work well together. You let me into the corridors behind Block B and then you simply need to get him to come to me."

"I can probably do that," she said.

The man smiled. 'I knew it would be easy,' he thought.

Carol's heart was beating rapidly. She was thrilled. This was it. Glenn would be gone and this man would do all the dirty work. With Glenn gone, she would have Daryl. They would never know she helped. She would deny it. They would have no proof. Surely they would believe her over this stranger. It was almost too good to be true.

"When?" she asked.

"Let me in at lunchtime while the others are busy. Then bring him mid-afternoon. That will give me plenty of time to prepare."

Carol nodded.

The next day Carol helped him gain access to the area near their cell block. She talked Glenn into walking with her over to that area. She didn't even have to try hard. Glenn trusted her. As soon as they stepped around the corner, the man viciously cracked Glenn over the back of the head with a piece of pipe and he fell to the ground unconscious.

The man turned to Carol, covered her mouth and wrapped his fingers around her throat.

"You are just as bad as they are," he said menacingly. "I know you want the other one for yourself. They disgust me and you disgust me. I will cleanse the earth of their evil and you shall burn in hell with them."

With that Carol felt his fingers tighten on her throat. She couldn't breathe and her vision started to tunnel into blackness. 'It wasn't supposed to be this way,' was her last thought.

The man easily hid her body. She would not be discovered until well after his plan was complete.

* * *

**MISSING**

Daryl walked into his and Glenn's cell. When he didn't see Glenn there, he asked around and found out that he was seen walking with Carol toward another area. No one could remember seeing them since. He followed in the direction that they went.

Turning a corner, he sees blood on the floor along with one of Glenn's work gloves. There was no sign of Glenn, but there was a blood trail. Not only had someone taken Glenn, they had hurt him.

He was going hunting. And when he found the bastard, he was going to kill him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Phoenix**

_Author's Notes:_

_Thank you to those who have taken the time to leave a review and also to those who have made it a favorite and/or are following it. I appreciate it._

_Just one little thing that I wanted to quickly mention. Remember the list in the author's notes in Chapter 1? Well, this is where some of it will apply, specifically Item 3: Anything to do with religion or lack thereof. I admittedly have a lack of knowledge in the area as I am not a religious person. I sincerely hope I do not offend anyone. I would never intentionally do that._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**DAY OF RECKONING**

Glenn, while disoriented, realized that he was tied with his hands over his head and a gag in his mouth. His head hurt something fierce and he was having a hard time focusing. His shoulders ached from bearing his weight for so long. He couldn't help the groan that escaped around the gag.

There was a man near him that he vaguely recognized as being from the Woodbury group.

"Ah, you're finally awake. This is something that needs to be done while you are conscious. You need to be aware of your crimes and suffer accordingly." The man smiled as Glenn's eyes grew wide. It was then that Glenn noticed not only the gun in the man's hand, but also a flare. It was only then that Glenn realized that there was cloth and other debris around his feet. At that, his heart started to pound harder.

"You are a disciple of Satan. 'For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive.' You were bitten yet you did not succumb to the plague upon the people. You are Satan in disguise. You use trickery to give false hope and sway the people away from true goodness."

Daryl heard a voice and followed it. As he drew closer, he could hear what the man was saying. Daryl continued to approach slowly, taking in the situation. He could see Glenn tied to the cell bars and the pile at his feet.

"Satan disguises himself as the angel of light. He deceives us. You deceive us." At that moment, the man lit the flare. Then he continued his ranting.

Daryl couldn't wait any longer. He stepped out with crossbow raised and confronted him. Glenn's captor paused momentarily.

"Glenn is not working for Satan. Maybe he is God's work." Daryl tried to convince him that he is wrong. He quoted one of the few bible verses he remembered. "Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted."

"No, no, no, no…you're trying to confuse me. Satan has control of him. I have to do this. Got rid of that bitch freak in love with a faggot. It was so easy. She was so stupid. She helped me get him and then I took care of her. She didn't even see it coming. Don't you see? I have a mission. I have to get rid of them." He turned to Daryl.

"You are just as bad. 'If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.' I will cleanse the world of this evil." He tossed the flare on the debris at Glenn's feet and raised gun toward Daryl.

Daryl fired and the man went down with an arrow in the center of his forehead. He ran over and kicked the burning debris away from Glenn and smothered the small fire on the jeans at Glenn's ankle.

By then, Glenn was only upright because his hands were bound to the cell bars above his head. Daryl cut the bindings and gently lowered him to the ground. He heard Glenn moan as his arms were lowered and the blood rushed back into them.

"You're ok now. I have you. You're fine."

"Knew you'd find me..love you," Glenn whispered.

"Love you more."

Glenn lost his battle to remain conscious.

* * *

**AFTERMATH**

Daryl entered the cell block calling for Hershel. He got Glenn to their cell with the entire group right behind him. Daryl gave Hershel a quick list of the injuries that he knew about and then backed away to give Hershel some room.

"What the hell happened?" Rick asked.

Daryl explained what he knew from finding the blood and the glove to getting Glenn back to their cell. Everyone was shocked. Carol is dead? He was going to kill Glenn, and probably Daryl, too? It was almost too much to take in.

As soon as he was done with the story, Daryl turned his attention back to Glenn and Hershel. He knew he needed to allow Hershel access to Glenn although what he wanted most in the world was to be touching him and holding him.

"So, how is he?" Daryl asked anxiously.

"The burn isn't bad. It's just first degree, kind of like a sunburn. His wrists are obviously bruised, but I don't see any other damage to them. I stitched the wound on his head. He also has a concussion. It wouldn't surprise me if his shoulders hurt for a while. Other than that, I won't be able to find out more until he wakes up and I can ask him."

"But he's unconscious. He talked to me a little, was whispering. Why did he pass out? Why isn't he waking up?"

"He's had a lot of trauma in the last few hours. His body needs to rest. He'll wake up when he's ready. We'll keep a close eye on him."

Daryl changed places with Hershel, took Glenn's hand and gently carded his fingers through his hair.

Rick turned to the group which was assembled outside of their cell.

"We need to look for Carol and get…everything cleaned up."

Daryl looked at Rick. "I can't leave him, not yet."

"I understand. I wouldn't ask that of you. We'll take care of it."

"I'll go," T-Dog volunteered.

"I will, too," Maggie added.

Rick nodded to the two and they headed out. They followed Daryl's directions and they found the bloody floor. They were able to locate Carol's body in a room nearby. Finding the cell was easy enough. They were shocked to see it and the reality that he was going to burn Glenn to death.

"Oh, God, he was really going to burn him alive," Maggie said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, looks that way," Rick said softly.

"Man, that's really messed up," T-Dog said, almost unable to believe it himself.

"That about sums it up," Rick replied.

They brought both bodies back with them and placed them outside their cell block. They needed to decide quickly what to do with them.

* * *

**ADDRESSING WOODBURY**

Rick and Hershel confronted the Woodbury group. They explained what happened and they were met with shocked faces.

"We gave you shelter. We brought you back here to protect you and this is how we're repaid; by attacking our people," Rick said, addressing the group.

Everyone denied having any idea of what was going on or anything to do with it.

"I knew he was strange, but I had no idea he would do something like this," Sasha stated. The others agreed.

"I won't allow anything to happen to our people," Rick continued. "I won't allow anything that will put our people in danger. If we feel that is the case, a harsh course of action may need to be taken."

Karen jumped in. "I am truly sorry that this happened! Please don't judge us all by what one person has done. We didn't know. I swear it. We'll do everything we can to make sure our groups can live together. You saved my life and I will do anything to repay that."

"Trust is a major issue here," Hershel said. "It isn't just given freely; you have to earn it. We don't trust any of you right now. Our groups will stay separate until we feel we can."

"We understand," Tyrese said.

* * *

**DARYL'S REALIZATION**

Daryl had Glenn back. That's all that mattered. He was back and safe and here in his arms. Daryl tried to remember when exactly he realized that Glenn was his whole world. It seemed like he always had been.

_*flashback*_

_They had been up since the crack of dawn and had a decent hunt. It already had been a long day and he allowed himself a minute to relax. He saw Glenn and watched while he worked at starting a fire for the night's cooking. He let his mind wander._

_He thought of hunting earlier that day. There was the feeling of the softness of Glenn's hair as it caressed his cheek when showing him a particular shot. There was the scent that was clean and outdoors and uniquely Glenn. There was the softness of his skin as he brushed against him. He could feel the press of the developing muscles from the exercise, working with the crossbow and living in this new world. _

_He knew he was physically attracted, but it wasn't just that. He liked to spend time with Glenn. He liked to listen to his stories and loved his sense of humor. No one had ever made him laugh. It was liberating and it just plain felt good. He needed to make sure Glenn was taking care of himself and that he was safe. _He_ wanted to take care of Glenn and keep him safe. His day didn't start until he saw Glenn and it didn't end until Glenn disappeared into his tent for the night. Daryl knew he would feel better if Glenn was sharing a tent with him, but he didn't think that would happen._

_Daryl was pulled from his daydream by a loud clang from somewhere in the camp. It was only then that he realized that he was still starting at Glenn and, to his chagrin, Glenn was staring back intensely. Glenn gave him a knowing look and grin. Daryl could feel himself blush as his heart started to race. Well, crap, now he was sporting a half-boner that he needed to hide._

_Yeah, this was more than friendship. He had never been in love before, but he was pretty sure this is what is was supposed to feel like._

The memory brought a smile to Daryl's face. He pulled Glenn tighter against him. Glenn sighed and nuzzled in closer drifting back to sleep. Daryl soon followed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Phoenix**

Author's Notes:

THIS IS A REPOSTED VERSION OF CHAPTER 5.

I posted a really smutty, graphic version of this chapter earlier today. However, I have received some messages that it was a bit too much, even with the warning in my notes. I'm not sure if the notes were read before proceeding to the chapter.

_This is what I originally said:_

_Fair warning: There's sex in this chapter (last section). It's smuttier than Chapter 2. A lot smuttier. A lot. And there is some smut-appropriate language. You'll know you hit the section when you get there. When you get there, if you don't want to read it, just hit the back button since it is the last section for this chapter. This won't play a role in story continuity. You'll be ok if you prefer to go with the general concept of: "They had sex." If you keep reading, you'll get the M-rated, detailed version of: "They had sex."_

I have reduced the final section of this chapter to be less graphic. It is still sex/smut, so please bear that in mind if you read it. My above notation still applies. You don't have to read the section. It won't affect the story.

If anyone wants to read the original version, it is still on WWOMB.

As always, thank you for leaving reviews. Also thanks for making this story a favorite and/or follow. You guys are awesome!

Feel free to PM me any time.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

**FILLING IN THE BLANKS**

It was in the early hours of the morning when Glenn woke up. Daryl called for Hershel.

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Daryl asked.

"I remember Carol asking for my help with something. I think I was tied up. I remember seeing you."

"That's all?"

"Man, my head is killing me."

"I'll get you something for that. You have a concussion, so it won't be any of the really good stuff," Hershel said with a bit of a smile.

"Thanks."

"So, what happened?"

Daryl filled him in on everything.

"So Carol's dead because of me," Glenn said without expression. "If that guy wasn't after me, she would still be alive."

Daryl turned Glenn's face toward him so they were eye to eye.

"Listen to me. Carol got involved on her own. She wanted me and you were in the way. Simple as that. None of this was your fault."

"Well, I guess I can appreciate wanting you," Glenn said with a forced smile.

"If anything it was my fault. I'm the one she was after," Daryl said.

Hershel walked in with the pain medication. "Now you're both just being stupid. Cut it out. Neither of you are to blame for this. There are two people to blame and they are both being buried today." Both Daryl and Glenn nodded.

"So, what about my memory?" Glenn asked Hershel.

"Well, it may come back or it may not. Head injuries are strange. Each one is different and there's no way to know for sure. You may have gaps simply because you were unconscious."

"With any luck, you won't remember any of it," Daryl said. "It'd be pointless. It'd probably just give you nightmares."

"Yeah, but I don't like having a big gap there."

* * *

**FUNERAL**

Carol's funeral was late that morning.

The man who took Glenn was buried. There was no ceremony to it; he was just simply buried in a separate area of the yard.

Daryl was still angry. Glenn was conflicted. The others were still confused about why all this happened and concerned about how Daryl and Glenn would deal with it. Obviously they were all still in shock over the events that had transpired. Some tried to talk about what Carol might have been feeling or what might have gone wrong with her, like maybe she was just hurt or she just wanted to be loved. Mostly, they just felt sorry for her. Daryl took this to mean they were trying to make excuses for what she did.

"That's bullshit. She knew right from wrong, same as the rest of us. She chose her path," Daryl snarled.

"Well, it doesn't really matter now. Now, we need to bury her," Maggie said.

"I'll get started. It'll probably take about an hour so why don't you all head down there about then," Rick said to the group. They agreed and dispersed.

Daryl didn't want to have anything to do with it.

"Please, Daryl," Glenn said. "I think we both need to go down there with the others."

"No."

"Why not?"

"She doesn't deserve it."

"Funerals aren't for the dead. I think we both need to go. We need to have closure. Please think about it, ok?" Daryl nodded. Glenn gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand before separating.

Once they were alone, Hershel turned to Daryl. Daryl looked at him and already knew what was coming. Before Hershel could even begin, Daryl was already speaking.

"Damn it, Hershel. She could have taken everything from me. She almost did. How am I supposed to forgive her for that?"

"How do you feel when you think of it?"

"How do you think I feel? I'm pissed off. I'm frustrated. I feel guilty that I didn't see it. I feel like I let it happen."

"Sounds like you need to forgive yourself as well as Carol."

"What if I don't want to forgive her?"

"Want and need are not the same thing. You need to let go of the anger. There is already too much sadness in this world. You don't need to hold onto any more when you can let it go."

Hershel left Daryl to think about what he said.

Daryl thought about what he felt about Glenn and how Carol's delusions could have taken everything from him. Hershel was right, though, regarding what they had all been through since Wildfire started. Did he really need to carry around the hatred that he now felt for her? Could he let it go?

They are all out in the yard when Daryl walked up to join them. He stood next to Glenn and Glenn took his hand.

"Thank you for coming down for this. I know it's hard for you and I'm proud that you made the decision to do it. I think we both need this."

The service, if you could even really call it that, was led by Hershel and was short and simple.

After everyone else left, Daryl paused and turned to Carol's grave. "I hope you rest in peace. I don't think you had much of it since you lost Sophia. I really do hope you find it now."

* * *

**RED SHIRTS & REALITY**

Time was passing. Life at the prison was settling and the people were recovering. Glenn had regained little of what happened but Hershel figured that was due to Glenn being semi-conscious for a good part of the time. Between what Glenn did remember and what Daryl said, they had a pretty good picture of the entire thing so Glenn let it go.

The Woodbury group was trying to make good on their promises. They were doing their part to contribute including participating on supply runs. They were also trying to help clear walkers from other parts of the prison to give them all more room.

During that time, one of the members of the Woodbury group was bit. She was the first bite since Glenn's miraculous recovery, so they all had hope. It was short-lived, however, because the victim showed signs within hours of the bite and only lasted for two days. While this was longer than anyone they had previously heard of or seen, it was still disappointing. This also created more questions on why it didn't happened to Glenn.

Daryl wanted to get out and do some hunting. The weather was warmer so he had high hopes that he would be able to bring down something. Roger from the other group would join him this time. It would be good to have another familiar with the area who could help with the hunting. Roger had been a avid hiker in his previous life. He had also done some hunting, but nowhere near to the extent that Daryl had. Even so it was expected that he would be of value on the hunt.

Glenn, Maggie and T-Dog would make a supply run to see what they could find. As time went on, each trip out produced less and less. This would cause them to need Daryl and Roger even more.

They left the prison together.

"You know if this was Star Trek, I'm pretty sure I'd be wearing the red shirt," Roger said with a laugh.

The supply group dropped Daryl and Roger a couple of miles from the prison and then proceeded on to scavenge north of the prison. The made sure they all knew to be back inside the prison by nightfall.

It had been going ok with Daryl and Roger getting the feeling of how each other handled hunting. They were making progress tracking a deer when they were suddenly facing a dozen walkers. They managed to put up a good fight and took out all of them; however, the damage was done. Both Daryl and Roger were sporting bites: Daryl on his calf and Roger on his forearm.

"Looks like we're both wearing red shirts today, huh," Daryl said with a grimace.

"We better get back," Roger said. "We know what happened to Nadia. She lasted longer than expected, but she ended up the same as everyone else, except for Glenn that is. Don't know how much time we have."

"You have a cousin there, don't you?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, I do. I thought for a second about not going back. I guess it wouldn't be fair to let her just wonder what happened…to never know for sure. It might be easier if they don't have to see us go through it, though."

"I can't just walk away. I have to go back. I can't take the chance that they'll send someone out to look for us. I have to see Glenn…to say goodbye. It will be the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I love him. He would be pissed if he didn't get to say goodbye. He'll also need to be the one who finishes it. I know him. He won't let anyone else do it."

"What do we do if they won't let us stay?"

"They'll let us stay. They'll watch us, but they'll let us stay. I know my people and they won't turn us out."

They arrived at the prison well ahead of the expected time. Glenn saw them approach and noticed that Daryl was limping. Glenn thought he probably twisted an ankle and that's why they came back so soon. Then Glenn saw the look on their faces. He saw the blood wrap on Roger's arm and winced because he felt relieved. Then he realized Daryl had a similar wrap on the calf of his leg. Glenn turned around and promptly expelled his lunch onto the pavement.

Roger's cousin ran up screaming and crying. Their group was obviously heartbroken about Roger. They took him with them leaving Daryl with his own group.

"Rick, help me get him to our cell," Glenn ordered.

"Beth, please go get your father and have him meet us there," Rick said.

"That's not necessary," Daryl interjected. "We all know the drill. It's just a matter of time. Hershel can't do anything."

"It's ok if he looks, but Daryl's right. We just need to be left alone," Glenn said.

Rick looked at them. "You know we can't do that."

Once they were at the cell, Glenn told everyone to get out.

"Glenn, be reasonable."

"I am. Just lock the door behind us. It's ok. That will make us all feel better. I will be with him and I'll take care of it when it needs to be done. But only when the time comes. Daryl decides when that is. He was going to do it for me, and I'll do it for him."

"Glenn, you can be with me but not in the cell," Daryl stated flatly.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm going to be with you to the end." Glenn turns to the group outside the cell. "Lock the door. Don't come back until I tell you to." Rick nods.

"Let us know if you need anything," he said.

"I'd like to come check on you in the morning, if nothing happens before then. Would that be ok?" Hershel asked.

Glenn nodded. "But only you. We just need some privacy. That's all we ask."

The group separated to let Glenn and Daryl have their final time together. They didn't need an audience for that. Daryl knew he was appreciated and was part of their family. He didn't need a bunch of cliché goodbyes. He knew. All he needed right then was Glenn.

Hershel came over the next morning to check on them. He let Glenn and Daryl know that Roger didn't last through the night. Along with the news about Roger, Hershel brought food and water. Glenn and Daryl both reiterated that they didn't want anyone else to come near the cell. They trusted Hershel to make sure that their request was respected.

Hershel was glad to be able to pass on the news that Daryl wasn't showing signs yet, but tempered that by adding that it was still early on.

They stayed in the cell for 4 days and Daryl didn't so much as break a sweat.

What the hell?

* * *

**TOGETHER AGAIN**

They looked at each other and it hit them both at once. Daryl wasn't getting sick. At all. They both were bit, they both survived so they both were immune. They looked at each other and the realization dawned on them at the same time.

Daryl grabbed Glenn's face with both hands and pulled him into a hard bruising kiss. Their bodies slammed together. Their tongues battling as Daryl continued to kiss Glenn forcefully.

Glenn grabbed the front of Daryl's shirt and pulled. The shirt opened and buttons flew everywhere. He pulled the shirt down Daryl's arms and off. Daryl whipped Glenn's t-shirt over his head.

Glenn pushed Daryl backwards up against the wall. He unfastened Daryl's pants and roughly pushed them down and Daryl stepped out of them. Glenn stood back up and his mouth plowed into Daryl's again.

Daryl spun them around so Glenn was up against the wall. Daryl dropped Glenn's pants and boxers, practically ripping them off of him.

Daryl turned Glenn toward the wall so his back was to him. Daryl licked Glenn's neck as he put his hands on his shoulders. He ran his hands down Glenn's arms from his shoulders to his wrists. Daryl took Glenn's wrists and moved his hands up to the wall. Daryl leaned up against Glenn's back. He continued to map Glenn's body with his hands, reacquainting himself.

Glenn blindly reached over and started grabbing at items on the nearby shelf. He finally found the lube, but not before knocking over everything else. He handed it to Daryl. By the time Daryl had him prepared, Glenn's moaning was constant and he was panting.

Glenn finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Jesus, Daryl stop messing around and fuck me already!" he yelled.

Daryl leaned closer to Glenn, his lips barely grazing Glenn's ear. "Brace yourself," he whispered. Daryl slicked himself and pushed into Glenn to the hilt with a shout of Glenn's name.

It wasn't long before Glenn's grunting and harsh breathing told Daryl he was already close.

"So good. Please, Daryl!" Glenn cried. "It's been too long. I can't wait any more. I gotta…I gotta…"

"Come on Glenn, I'm there too. Let me hear you."

With him calling Daryl's name, Glenn came hard pushing Daryl over the edge.

Both stood there panting unable to move, Glenn leaning on the wall, Daryl leaning on Glenn, both trying to regain their senses.

"That was amazing!" Daryl said.

Glenn only had the energy to mumble. Daryl thought he heard him agreeing. They slid to the floor panting, nothing left in them. They looked around. The shelf and little desk had been cleared and everything was scattered on the floor. There were clothes everywhere and they were pretty sure they'd never find all of the buttons.

They managed to get over to their bed and curled up together.

"Love you," Daryl said.

"Love you, too," Glenn whispered back.

They made love later that night and again in the early hours of the next morning. It was much slower, almost worshiping. They were once again lost in each other.


	6. Chapter 6

**Phoenix**

_Author's Notes:_

_I felt like I was taking too long getting the next chapter out, so I pulled this little short off of the beginning of the next chapter. _

_As always, thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows!_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

**QUESTIONS**

Rick approached Glenn and Daryl's cell slowly. He wanted to make sure he didn't walk in on anything the he really, _really_ didn't want to see. As he approached, he called out a good morning greeting to let them know he was there.

"Figured it was ok to come and unlock your door now. Looks like everything is ok," Rick said.

"Yeah, it's good. No changes. Don't think there's any danger now," Glenn replied.

"Good. We were glad to see, or rather _hear_, you guys were able to work out a few small things in your relationship last night…and last night…and this morning," Rick said with a shit-eating grin. Glenn blushed furiously.

"Not so much that we worked things out. More like gave some things a workout…and they're not small, for your information," Daryl countered as he flipped Rick off.

"TMI," Rick responded with a smile. "Let's go. Everyone's downstairs and we all have a lot to talk about."

They all got settled around the tables.

"Well, to start, here is what I am wondering about," Hershel began. "One, why did Glenn get a fever but not die or change? Two, why did Daryl not even get sick at all? Three, why did the first person from Woodbury only last for two days, but Roger only for a few hours? There are some specific medical questions, too," Hershel continued. "How does the body's chemistry change once bitten? Will immunity continue if bitten more than once?"

"All good questions," Rick said. "Also, is it possible Glenn has been immune this whole time. Was he born with it? What about Daryl?"

"What is the probability that two people so close just happen to both be immune? It must be incredibly small," Maggie said.

"It would be," Hershel said. "So, did Glenn somehow pass immunity to Daryl? Or it's always possible Daryl passed it to Glenn. Just because Glenn was bit first doesn't mean he was immune first."

"So, um, what if I passed it to Daryl or he passed it to me? How does that help anyone? If I passed immunity on to Daryl, then what? Do I have to have sex with everyone that's still left on the planet?" Glenn asked jokingly.

"Well, Daryl's immune, too. Maybe he can help," Rick answered sarcastically.

"Ha, ha," Glenn responded.

"It could work exponentially. You do two people, they do two people, and the count doubles each time so, boom, we would have this knocked out in no time," Rick said with a smile.

"Wasn't that an old shampoo commercial or somthin?" Daryl asked.

"Wait," Glenn said, "they 'did' each other in old shampoo commercials?"

Daryl and Rick glared at him.

"We need to figure it out 'cause, no offense, I don't want to sleep with either of you."

"Well we can joke about this all we want to, but we don't know if the immunity was even transferred, right?" Maggie asked. "But, if it was and immunity was transferred before they were bit, we don't know what would happen now. Yes, maybe they'd transfer immunity, but could they also transfer the bite? Like be contagious? Before and after the bite is like comparing apples to oranges."

"Well, we need to get some answers, but protecting Glenn and Daryl is the number one priority. Let's try to figure out the next step. If we can find someone to make sense of this, we need to make sure that we don't put Glenn and Daryl in any more danger that they're in."

"I'm not sure I follow," Beth said. "Why would they be in danger?"

"We need to make sure whoever we find can be trusted. We don't know if we're the first to figure out that some are immune. We already know that there are some very unsavory characters out there. If unscrupulous parties found out, there might be issues of control. This could be a very big deal if it can be managed and manipulated. It could end up being a major power issue. Imagine if you could control who is or becomes immune?"

"Got it," Beth said wide-eyed.

"Obviously, the CDC is out. Any other ideas?" Rick asked.

"I think we need to have a full meeting including everyone here at the prison," Hershel said. "We need to unite. It's time. Fill them in on everything we know and see if there are any thoughts. Then we can come up with a plan."


	7. Chapter 7

**Phoenix**

_Author's Notes:_

_I cannot even describe how full of crap I am regarding the medical stuff in this chapter. It is a little from biology class, a little from anatomy class, a little from the internet, and a lot of my imagination. It is total bullshit but I think it sounded pretty good so I went with it._

_Thank you to __**namu1**__, __**10polarbear1**__, __**XxLunerMoonxX**__, __**CosmicParadise**__, and __**VampbaitInfinity**__ for the reviews. I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks for taking the time. You guys are awesome! Also, a big thanks for all of the Favorites and Follows._

_I hope you enjoy this next chapter. As always, I'd love to hear from you!_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

**DECISION**

It was crowded in the communal area of the cell block. There weren't enough seats at the tables, so some had settled on the railings nearby or on the floor.

"Thank you to everyone for coming. We feel that we all need to work together, as a single group, if you all agree," Rick began. "There have been a number of things happening lately and some decisions need to be made. We need to make them together. I guess I am pretty much the spokesperson for our group, at least for today. I am not sure if you have anyone on your side in that position. Regardless of that, anyone is welcome to say anything at anytime. We all have voices here."

The group from Woodbury looked toward Tyrese and Karen.

"I guess Karen and I are but, like you said, each person has the right to speak his or her own mind."

"Ok," Hershel started, looking around the room. "First let's talk about the bites. We all know that the CDC told us that the longest lasted only 8 hours. Glenn was first and barely got sick. Nadia was second and she lasted two days. Then Daryl and Roger, with Daryl not showing any effect whereas Roger only lasted a few hours. Does anyone have any insight?"

Several people turned to Roger's cousin Rebecca. "I might. Glenn and Daryl were healthy when they were bit, correct?"

"Yes," Glenn said. "Daryl and I were, aside from the malnutrition issues that we all have had since this all happened."

Rick looked at her. "You have a theory?"

"Maybe," she said shrugging. "We're talking about a sickness. I mean, that's what Wildfire is, right? Roger had lymphoma a year before Wildfire started. He was in remission then, but who knows if it had come back. It may have been back or he may just have been weakened because of it. I don't know anything about Nadia, but it may have played a part in why Roger went so fast."

Hershel looked at the group. "That's a very interesting theory and it might have merit. Does anyone know about Nadia?"

"Not really," said an older woman sitting toward the back of the room. "She said she was tired all the time and she was awfully thin, but no one really gave it any thought. I mean, aren't we all tired and hungry?"

"Let's consider this a working theory, then, since we don't know for sure," Hershel said.

"Wherever we decide to go, we won't take the whole group," Michonne said. "We should be careful of who goes. The Governor is still out there and we need to make sure the prison stays protected."

"Agreed," Rick said. "We also don't want to take too many people because there is a risk that the ones sent out won't return. There are a lot of dangers out there, not just from the walkers."

"Let's brainstorm ideas. Anything that comes to mind," Hershel said.

"What about the hospitals?" T-Dog asked.

"They all seemed to be overrun with the sick when this all went down," Rick said. "The one that I left was a disaster. It was nearly destroyed. They are all probably ransacked by now. I wouldn't think that they have the ability to look into something this complex, anyway."

"What about a college medical school?" asked Rebecca.

"That might be worth investigating," Tyrese said. "We'll need to decide where to try and how to get there."

Karen looks at the group. "What about a drug company? They do research and development so they might have more information, if any still exist. My sister-in-law worked for one. I don't really know what went on there, but it may be a start. I was trying to get to my brother when I found Woodbury. I stayed. I had to think of my daughter. It seemed better than wandering around trying to find family that I may not have had anymore."

"Do you know where this lab is?" T-Dog asked.

"It's not in the city so there's probably better chance it's running. I think I remember. I have only been there a couple of times but I'm pretty sure I can find it. I think this might be the best option to try for now. If it doesn't pan out, then maybe go on to the university?"

"Sounds like as good a place to start as any," Rick said. "I don't want to take Daryl or Glenn or reveal where they are until we know more. Are there any volunteers to go with Karen and me?"

T-Dog, Tyrese, Sasha, and Rebecca volunteer.

"I think I need to stay here," Michonne said.

"I agree. You and Daryl can be in charge of keeping the prison secure. T-Dog, I think you should also stay."

T-Dog nodded. "If you think that's best, then OK."

They decide to take Rick, Karen, Tyrese and Sasha.

Rick turned to the three. "Just to remind you all, this is a fact-finding-mission only. We are not going to be revealing anything to whoever we find until we know for sure they can be trusted."

All three nod.

Once the decision was made, they decided to head out at first light. Karen would prepare directions as best she could, just in case something happened on the way and they needed to proceed without her.

* * *

**CONTINGENCY PLAN**

Later that night, Karen and Rick approached Daryl and Glenn.

"Daryl, can we talk to you and Glenn for a minute?"

"Sure."

Glenn, Daryl, Rick and Karen walked toward a quieter area of the prison.

"I need to ask you for a big favor," Rick said.

"Shoot," Daryl replied.

"If anything happens to me, will you look after Carl and Judith? I want to make sure that they have definite guardians in the case that we don't come back. I know this is a huge responsibility, but there isn't anyone I trust more."

"Are you sure?" Glenn asked.

"Positive."

Glenn and Daryl looked at each other knowing that they were both thinking the same thing.

"Of course," Glenn said. "We would be honored."

"Thank you," Rick said with great relief.

Karen looked at them. "I know this will come as a shock, but I am also going to ask that you take care of Olivia, too, if Rick and I both don't come back. If Rick comes back without me, he will be taking care of Olivia. She will be able to be with his children and I know that he will take good care of her. But if we both don't come back, I would like you to take her along with Carl and Judith."

Now Glenn and Daryl were shocked.

"We're flattered, but can I ask why?" Daryl asked.

"I know some of the group from Woodbury and we are pretty good friends, but they aren't family or even _close_ friends. I realize you aren't either, but I feel like you are a better choice. Rick trusts you with his children, so that is one reason. Another reason is that I know you love each other and your make-shift family and would hopefully love my child. Finally, the fact is that you're both immune. You will have a better chance of keeping her safe. She will have some stability. With your immunity, you provide a better chance that she won't have to lose another parent if she loses me."

Glenn and Daryl looked at her. "It sounds like you have seriously thought about it," Glenn said. "They might be raised in a nightmare of a world, but as long as we in it, we'll always do everything we can to make sure they are all safe and loved."

"Thank you," she sighed.

"I think we should all go talk to the children so they know," Rick said. "We can let the others in the group know, too. I don't want to offend anyone for not choosing them, but I needed to have a plan in place."

"You know no one will be offended and we'll all work together for kids," Daryl said. "They will always come first."

* * *

**DESTINATION**

The group cautiously approached a small complex of buildings with sign that said "PRD, Inc." They were two story brick buildings, four of them, and they were surrounded by tall fences. The compound was probably secured due to the nature of the work, and that worked out well for them once Wildfire hit. The area appeared to be well defensible and had security in place.

Tyrese and Rick pulled their cars over by some trees where they could see the front gates to the complex and they all got out. They watched for a while to see what the situation was. After watching, they decided that Karen and Rick were going to approach the gate. If anything went wrong, Tyrese and Sasha were to high-tail it out of there and get back to the prison. If that were to happen, they absolutely would not attempt any kind of rescue. Tyrese and Sasha tried to argue, but in the end they conceded the sense of it. They couldn't afford to lose any more of the people who are able to protect the prison.

Rick and Karen pull up to gate and were met with an impressive defensive force. They slowly exited the car with their hands raised.

"We don't want any trouble," Rick called out to them.

"What _do_ you want?"

"I'm trying to find Susan Mason. She worked here."

"Who are you?" was the reply.

"I'm Karen Mason, her sister-in-law. I've been trying to get here for a long time, to try and find my brother and her."

The gate guard looks as her warily.

"Go get Dr. Mason," said the man at the gate to another armed man. The man jumped onto a bike and headed toward the main building.

After a few minutes, a vehicle approached the gate. Dr. Mason got out and slowly approached. When she saw Karen, she ran to the gate yelling for them to open it. As soon as the gate was open far enough, the women ran to each other and embraced, both crying.

"Is Craig here?" Karen asked. She saw Susan's face and knew immediately that her brother had not made it.

"Oh my God?! Karen, where's Olivia? She isn't…?" Susan asked.

"She's fine. We're fine. We are staying in a place that is safe for now. I was afraid to bring her with me. She is with good people."

Susan sobbed with relief. The women embraced again. Karen pulled Susan to the side.

"Susan, I need to know. Are we safe here? You need to be honest. You have no idea what we've been through. There are very bad people out there. Please tell me now if we should leave. You don't need to be obvious about it, but we need to know truthfully."

"You can stay. We have all been here since the beginning. We have all worked together for years. I trust these people with my life. You can, too. I swear."

Karen nodded. Karen filled Rick in on what Susan said.

As the gate was opened further and Rick, Karen and Susan entered onto the grounds, Rick signaled Tyrese and Sasha to stay put for now.

* * *

**WHAT WE KNOW**

Karen and Rick followed Susan to a two-story building. As they entered, they were greeted by a tall, middle-aged man.

"Dr. Harrison," Susan started. "This is my sister-in-law Karen and her friend, Rick Grimes."

Dr. Harrison shook Karen's hand, followed by Rick's.

"Welcome. Please call me Kevin. It's been a while since we've seen any friendly faces," he said with a warm smile. "I am very glad to hear that Susan has found a family member, or I guess actually a family member found her."

"Thank you. We're glad to be here," Rick said.

"Let's go to my office where we can talk," he said leading the three others down a long hallway.

As the four settled around a conference table, a younger woman came in.

"This is my daughter, Jenny," Kevin said. She nodded and smiled to the group.

"Dad, I heard we had visitors. Do you want me to bring any drinks or snacks?"

"That would be great, Sweetie."

He turned to the group. "Would you like something to drink? We still have some coffee and I think we have some iced tea. Or something else?"

"You have _iced_ tea? _Cold iced tea_?" Rick asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, we do," he said with a smile. He turned to Jenny. "How about some iced tea and some of those cookies you made yesterday?"

"I'll be right back with them."

While they waited, Kevin and Susan gave them a brief overview of the company. PRD, Inc. is a drug research and development company. Their facility did medical research to find drug solutions to any number of illness and infections. They have fully functioning chemistry, biology and medical facilities.

They have solar power and generators, although so far, they really haven't had a need to use the back-up generators. They have been running nearly 24 hours a day since the spread started. They had a full staff when things started to get bad, but a lot of people left to try to get to family members. Few came back. Some who weren't here, like Susan, made it here. A few arrived with family members, but most did not. Karen and Susan looked at each other. Kevin said that they were really lucky to have some truly valuable researchers with them and they have been working virtually non-stop to figure it all out.

Jenny returned just a couple of minutes later with four iced teas and a few cookies on a plate.

Rick and Karen sampled the tea and both their faces showed such joy it was hard for Kevin to keep a straight face.

"Good?" Kevin asked with a smirk.

"You have no idea!" Rick replied with a blissful smile.

They all settled in and started sharing information.

"What do you know?" Susan asked Rick.

"Not much. We know a little from what we got at the CDC before it blew up," Rick began.

Susan and Kevin looked shocked.

"What do you mean it blew up?" Susan asked.

"Just what I said. It was set to do a full decontamination and we just escaped before it happened."

"Oh my God," Kevin said.

"That explains any lack of communication," Susan said. "We have been trying to establish communication with anyone who may still be out there."

"I hate to break it to you," Rick said to them, "but, you might be it."

"Wow. So did you find anything out?" Kevin asked.

"The only things we found out is that we are all infected and that the longest period to turn is 8 hours. That's pretty much it. It wasn't long after Wildfire began, so I don't think there was much time for anything else to really be discovered about it."

Kevin nodded. "That's what we also figured out."

Rick looked at him. "You have a lot more information that we have. Can you fill us in on what is going on?"

Susan started. "When this all first started, we were looking for any explanation or information we could get. Originally we were looking in order to create a drug solution. Then we were just looking for any information to help us understand this enough to survive."

"And?" Karen asked.

"We decided on laying out the facts as we knew them," Susan said. "We had come to the conclusion that everyone seemed to be infected. Everyone who died was reanimating. Those that weren't bit but had died were changing along with those who were bit. Because of the reanimation, we began looking into the brain and nervous system."

"Here is what else the lab has learned or hypothesized," Kevin said. "It seems to only infect neurons which are the cells of the central nervous system. These cells don't reproduce. The majority of the neurons were formed before birth and aren't replaced. If they die, they're gone. We don't make new ones to take their place. This virus is in our central nervous system cells but none others. That is why it doesn't spread or get worse; it just is there. It doesn't activate until the person dies."

"When a person is bit," Susan continued, "something in the bite along with the virus already in the nervous system causes some kind of reaction. It seems that the bite activates something that allows the virus into the skin cells. This combination sends the virus into overdrive. Because we lose skin cells constantly, the body is creating them in large numbers. The sheer number of reproducing, now infected, skin cells overwhelms the body. The person dies and then the virus in the nervous system reanimates them."

"How were you able to determine what cells were infected?" Rick asked.

"We started sampling them," Kevin said. "We started researching on those who were deceased, through autopsy and lab tests. What we really needed was the ability to sample cells from living people. There was a way that was developed as part of some research into schizophrenia where sample of brain cells were able to be take using a needle through the nasal cavity. That is what we have been doing. Just to make sure you know, we don't force anyone. They have all volunteered, including me. It isn't painful and everyone here understands science and all want to help."

Rick and Karen nodded.

Kevin looked at the group. "Now, here is where things got a lot more interesting. We started to see something else. We started to see some people that didn't react like everyone else. Someone who was bit did not change. He appeared to be immune to it. We tested him. His skin cells showed no signs of the virus. Even though there was a bite, the reaction had not occurred. We then sampled the brain cells. Instead of the visible virus within the cell, all we could see was some sort of capsule around the virus."

Susan took over. "We started retesting everyone. About half of those who originally tested with the virally infected cells, now showed cells with the virus encapsulated. We continued to test the living and each week a few more showed the capsules. We, unfortunately, had two of our people die in an accident while working here. One changed and the other did not. The one who changed showed viral cells and the one who did not change showed encapsulated virus."

Kevin continued. "After time, a capsule is created around the virus in the cells. It looks like it is actually the virus that creates the capsule, not our immune system. Once the capsule is in place, the virus is essentially dormant. A bite cannot react with the virus so it doesn't have any effect. If someone who has active virus dies, they will reanimate; however, if someone dies with the encapsulated virus it looks like they won't. We don't assume though. We don't know if the capsule will break down or what will happen, so we still need to take care of them."

Rick and Karen looked at them absolutely stunned.

"Wow," Rick said. "We had no idea. So this means that there is hope, right?"

"We don't know," Susan said. "We don't know if the capsule is permanent. It may degrade over time or the virus may trigger something to dissolve it. There is just so much we don't know."

Kevin looked at the group soberly. "It is not a natural occurrence for something to kill itself, especially a virus. It seems this virus may be designed to only last for a short duration; to have a devastating impact and then stop."

"What do you mean by 'designed'?" Karen asked.

"I believe, based on what we know, is that this was weaponized."

"Biowarfare," Rick said.

"Yes. I think this is man-made…that we created this."

They all considered this for a few minutes.

"Our priority now is to find a way to speed up encapsulation," Susan said.

"If it stops itself, why do we need to worry about it? Why do we need to come up with a way to treat it? Won't everyone eventually be immune?" Karen asked.

"It could take years before natural immunity develops, if at all. Some may never develop natural immunity, for whatever reason. The sooner we stop it from spreading, the fewer people will die from it. That translates to less danger for all of us. Also, just because we can't be infected, doesn't mean we can't be lunch."


	8. Chapter 8

**Phoenix**

_Author's Notes:_

_I'm sorry for the delay in getting this next chapter out. This story was originally going to be a couple more chapters … move from prison to PRD … everyone lived happily ever after … blah, blah. Change of plans. I had several new ideas being tossed around in my head that I needed to work out before I got back to writing. I decided to incorporate a thread for another story into this one instead so this story will be several more chapters._

_As always, thank you for reviews, favorites and follows. I appreciate it!_

**Chapter 8**

**LOST**

They heard the warning whistle just as the first grenade hit the prison. Everyone scrambled and jumped into action. It took a couple of minutes to assess the situation but it didn't take a genius to see that they were in trouble.

After exchanging fire for a few minutes, the attackers suddenly stopped. It was then that the group saw the Governor standing with Beth and holding Judith in his arms. They could all see the gun leveled at Beth's head.

"Lay down weapons and surrender," the Governor said in his clear and calm manner. "If you don't they will die. If you don't, you will _all_ die. If you cooperate, some of you may be spared."

"Don't do it," Daryl hissed.

"I have to. She's my daughter," Hershel said.

"Me, too. We don't have a choice," Maggie added.

Both Hershel and Maggie lowered their weapons and walked out into the open with their hands raised. Shortly after, the others followed.

"I know there is one more, behind the barrier to my right," the Governor called out. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be. The deal was that everyone surrenders. It's all on you now. You don't want to be responsible for what happens to them all, including this precious little baby, do you?"

At that point, Daryl knew what he had to do. He didn't doubt the Governor would make good on his threats. As soon as he stepped out, two of the Governor's men were on him disarming him and taking him down to the ground.

The Governor's men handcuffed, shackled or tied each of his captive's hands and lined them up. He handed Judith off to one of his "soldiers."

He approached Michonne, who kept her eyes straight ahead, her face stony.

"Michonne, I think you and I will have to take some time to chat. I think we have a lot to discuss, don't you?" he asked evilly. "I guess we'll just have to …_see _…won't we."

He approached Maggie. He leaned in really close to speak quietly into her ear. Those nearby, though, could easily hear what he was saying.

"Maybe we'll get to finish what we started. I'll bet you're a real wildcat. I like them feisty, with a little fight in 'em. I think you just need to learn your place. With a little training I think you'll do just fine."

Daryl lunged toward the Governor.

"Get away from her, you psycho! Leave her be!" Daryl yelled struggling against the men holding him. The Governor turned and walked over to Daryl.

"Ahhh, Daryl Dixon. Merle's baby brother. Let's talk about Merle, shall we? Your brother was a traitor. He was also a sniveling coward. The last words he ever spoke were to beg for his life."

"That's bullshit. I know my brother. He would _never_ beg."

"But, you weren't there, were you?" Something quickly passed over Daryl's face and unfortunately the Governor saw it and grinned. "You were there, in the end. Did you see him as one of those things? Was he crawling in the dirt, like the animal that we all know he was?"

"You son of a bitch," Daryl growled, struggling again. "I _know_ my brother. I _know_ he wouldn't beg. I _know_ that he attacked you and your men and took a bunch down. I _know_ that you killed him. Another thing that I _know_ is that I'm going to kill you."

The Governor held Daryl's stare for a moment and then walked away. He stopped in front of Beth.

"We've been watching. Several people left the other day. Where are Rick and the Asian, Glenn I believe is his name?" he asked looking at Beth. Beth stood strong and looked at the Governor. Daryl felt his chest clench at the sound of Glenn's name.

"They aren't here," she said strongly. "They're out on a run. They haven't come back yet." While he didn't condone lying, Hershel was relieved that Beth seemed to be doing an admirable job. The Governor looked at her.

"I do not believe that you are being truthful; maybe in part, but not the whole truth." He watched her carefully and she never broke eye contact or changed the expression on her face.

"I'm not lying."

"But, you aren't being fully truthful, are you?" he asked calmly as he ran his finger along her jawline. He saw her jaw clench but she maintained her stance.

"Don't you dare touch her," Carl growled.

"Ahhh, how chivalrous. Protecting the honor of the young lady," he said walking to stand in front of Carl. "Well, we'll just have to discuss it further when we reach our destination," the Governor said pleasantly, with a dangerous smile.

"Let's get this all loaded," the Governor said referring to the food and weapons being taken from the prison. "Then get all these folks onto the trucks."

When they left the prison, the group had no idea where they were going although they had a good idea of what they might face when they got there. They were sure it would be harder on the original prison group than those that came from Woodbury. They were responsible for these people – old, young and in between. None of them could allow a full-on slaughter. They would just have to deal with whatever consequences came with their decision.

As they pulled away, those in the original group knew Glenn and T-dog were still somewhere in the prison. Daryl hoped Glenn's body wasn't lying in the prison or trapped or torn apart by walkers. That thought made him physically ill.

Glenn and T-dog watched as their friends and family were loaded up into trucks. Every fiber of his being told Glenn to do something to stop it.

T-dog saw him watching…saw the distress on his face.

"Don't do it, man. We can't help them if we're taken, too," he said to Glenn.

"I know," he said with a sigh, but watching that truck disappear into the distance with Daryl on board one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Phoenix**

_Author's Notes:_

_Thank you for reviews, favorites and follows. I appreciate it. _

_I changed the summary a little to mention that this is TWD and that people get hurt and people die. No one is really safe, as we all know. There has already been one major character death in my story (so far). I haven't worked out all the details for the rest of the story, but there will be violence and not-nice things (and possibly deaths) in coming chapters. Be forewarned. _

_Now, on with the story…_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

**INVITATION**

"We need to get back to our group. Let them know what is happening." Rick said.

Kevin looked at him. "So how many of your group are immune?"

Rick looked at him questioningly.

"You didn't seem all that surprised when I said that we found some who were immune. I took that to mean that you had seen it before."

"We have," Rick replied. "Two of our group are immune. Others were bit. They lasted longer than expected, but eventually succumbed. We are only sure of the two so far."

"Well, we have discussed it here and your group is welcome to join us," Kevin said.

"We appreciate the invitation. You certainly have resources that we have not seen in a while. I have no problem volunteering for testing. I will leave it up to each in our group to make the decision for himself or herself."

"That's fine," Susan said. "As we said before, we only test those who volunteer. You are all welcome here regardless."

"Thank you," Karen said. "I know that Olivia and I will be back no matter what."

"Would any of you like to be tested before you leave? Knowing where you stand may not make a difference, but you might like to know, though."

"I would," Rick said.

"Me, too," Karen said.

Kevin looked at them. "What about the folks you left outside?"

Rick and Karen looked at him sheepishly.

"It's ok. Really. This is a new world now. You can't be too careful. You needed to see what the situation was and have some kind of backup or someone to let the others know what happened. We aren't offended."

"I appreciate that," Rick said. "Thank you for understanding. I'll go get them, fill them in and let them decide for themselves what they want to do."

With that, Rick stood up and headed out to the front gates.

* * *

**LAB TESTS**

"So, how does this test work?" Sasha asked. "What does it tell you?"

Susan began to explain. "We take the sample of cells as we said, using a tiny needle through your nose. We then stain the sample and count the cells. We modified a lab machine to do this. We had several that could do a complete blood count…red cells versus white cells, etc…which was common before the outbreak. It will now count encapsulated viral cells and total infected cells. From those two numbers we get an estimated percentage of cells that have encapsulated, which is on a scale of zero to 100."

"Now, this gives us a number…a starting point," Kevin continued. "We don't know the threshold for immunity. We don't know how many cells need to be encapsulated before there isn't a reaction. You may not need to be 100% to have the immunity. You said that one of your people got sick but recovered and the other didn't get sick at all, correct?"

"Yes. Glenn had a mild reaction, but recovered quickly. Daryl didn't have any reaction at all."

"Glenn may not have been at 100% and that is why he got a "little" sick. Daryl may have been 100% or very close to it which might explain why he didn't react. Again, though, we really don't know for sure. A lot of this is still educated guessing at this point."

"We understand," Tyreese said. "I think we need to get our test done so we can get back."

The four all agreed to be tested. Susan returned with the results.

"You all had high percentage rates. Karen, you are at 91%. Rick, you are at 96% and both Tyreese and Sasha are at 98%. Their result being the same may have to do with the sibling relationship or it may just be a coincidence. Hopefully, this will put you in good shape in case the worst happens, but as stated before, they really don't have a known safety level."

* * *

**DESTRUCTION**

As the four approached the prison, they could sense that something was amiss. They pulled off the road and decided to approach on foot. They needed not to be caught if something was happening.

When the prison came into view, they could all see the destruction. The fences were down and the walls were crumbling.

Karen immediately jumped up. "Oh my God…_Olivia_!"

Rick grabbed her and pulled her back down.

"Let go of me," she hissed.

"No. You need to calm down. We can't just run in there. We don't know what happened or is happening."

"But…" she said with a sob.

"Karen, I understand. My kids are in there, too." She nodded, wiping away the tears.

"I'm ok. I'm good," Karen told them taking a deep breath.

They split into pairs to see what they could figure out and then met back up.

"We didn't see anyone at all," Sasha said.

"Neither did we," Rick responded.

Tyreese looked at the group. "Ok, we need to try to get in there. There is an opening through the south wall. I saw a few walkers but nothing we can't handle between the four of us. Then we make our way in from there."

"Sounds good," Rick said looking at Tyreese. "Sasha and I will go first. Once we get in, we'll signal for you to follow. Stealth is the key. We might be walking into a trap and need to be prepared for anything. We also need to keep our cool," he mentioned looking at Karen. She nodded.

The four moved closer to the opening, all afraid of what they might find inside.

* * *

**GONE**

They carefully worked their way into the areas where they were all living. There were no signs of anyone at all. While they were relieved not to find their friends dead, or worse, it was disconcerting that they didn't find anyone.

They heard a noise behind them and they all turned pointing their weapons in that direction and taking fighting stances.

"Whoa, whoa, don't shoot," Glenn said peeking around a corner. He came out followed by T-dog. "Oh, man, am I glad to see you."

"What the hell happened?" Rick asked.

"It was the Governor. Two days ago. He attacked us. We were defending the prison, but somehow he got a hold of Beth and Judith," Glenn began.

"_What_?!" Rick shouted.

T-dog picked it up from there. "We think he had help getting in. His men suddenly stopped shooting and that's when he came out with them. He was holding Judith and had a gun on Beth. He told us to surrender," T-dog continued with the story. "Hershel and Maggie did. Then others followed. Daryl held out until the end but he had to surrender or they would have all be killed."

Glenn made a distressed sound at Daryl's name. "They were tied up and put on a truck. They took everything that wasn't tied down. We don't know where they went."

Karen launched herself at T-dog, claws bared. "You bastard. You just let them be taken?"

"What were we supposed to do?" he asked. "We were outnumbered and outgunned. How would them taking us too have helped in any way?"

"You couldn't have gone after them?" she spat.

"How?" Glenn snarled. "They were in trucks. They trashed our cars before they left. We couldn't chase them on foot. They had Daryl on one of those trucks. Don't you think I would have gone after them if I could?"

Karen just turned away, sobbing and screamed in frustration. Rick paced back and forth swearing.

Tyreese, trying to diffuse the situation, asked Rick and Karen to fill them in on what they found out at PRD while he a Sasha looked around. Glenn and T-dog had already thoroughly investigated the area, but they knew that he was trying to get Rick and Karen to calm down, so they didn't say anything.

Rick and Karen filled the in on everything that they found out. Glenn and T-dog looked at them with open-mouthed astonishment.

Tyreese and Sasha rejoined them. "Ok," he began, "we need to figure out what to do. We cannot act impulsively. That is too dangerous."

"We think," Sasha picked up from there, "that we should go back to PRD and regroup."

Rick gasped. "Shit! PRD. I should have warned them about the Governor and his men. Damn it!"

They all grabbed their gear and weapons and headed back out to the two cars. They had no choice but return to PRD for now. They needed to come up with a plan.


	10. Chapter 10

**Phoenix**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

**IT BEGINS**

As soon as they arrived at the new location, the prisoners were removed from the trucks. The Governor had them split up into several groups: the original prison group (consisting of Daryl, Maggie, Beth, Hershel, Michonne and Carl), the Woodbury men, the Woodbury women and the children. Judith was taken from the prison group and placed with the other children. Without any warning, he turned and gunned down the Woodbury men. The Governor then turned and looked at the remaining three groups.

"I want to know where Rick and his companions went. As you can see, I have no qualms about what it might take. I have had some practice and I am getting better at getting what I need."

They all looked at him. No one said anything. They had seen what the Governor was capable of. If they gave him what he wanted, they had no doubts that he would kill them all once he no longer needed them.

"No takers? Ok, let's have some fun, then." He signaled to his men and they took Daryl, Michonne and Maggie from the room.

As she left, Maggie yelled at them to not say anything, no matter what.

* * *

**BORED**

They were not sure how much time had passed when two men returned with Maggie. She had a black eye and split lip. Her clothes were torn and the marks on her back were clearly visible. Her eyes flicked in a quick survey of the room and she noted that Daryl and Michonne were not there.

The Governor looked around the room.

"While this has been fun, I am growing tired and bored with my games." He grabbed three children from the group and pointed his gun at them.

"I want to know _now_!"

Rebecca stood up quickly and gave him all the info that she has about PRD.

"See, was that so hard?" the Governor asked, then he shot her in the head. Martinez entered the room just as the shot sounded. He approached the Governor.

"You're needed in one of the interrogation rooms," he said.

Maggie, Hershel, Beth and Carl exchanged glances. This was not good.

* * *

**DISCOVERED**

The Governor entered the interrogation room, followed by Martinez, and was met with a stripped down Daryl Dixon.

The others in the room were Dr. Chase Kendall and his assistant Victor Hertz. The Governor found Dr. Kendall outside of Atlanta with a small group of other survivors. While Dr. Kendall had value to him, he had no use for the others and quickly disposed of them. While the doctor was young, probably mid-twenties, the Governor knew that he was in his residency in emergency medicine and that was more than good enough for his needs.

Dr. Kendall's primary tasks did not include treating those who were injured within the Governor's small army. Those with injuries that were more than minor were no longer of use to him and were taken care of. The doctor's responsibility was to keep the prisoners alive for interrogation, both during and after.

His assistant's primary responsibility was to report Dr. Kendall's movements back to the Governor. He needed to make sure the good doctor was living up to his expectations. He also was amused by the fact that his name was Hertz when that, in fact, was something he did regularly to his captives. Dr. Kendall was not happy with his assigned assistant and found him to be a little too enthusiastic with his questioning.

"Dr. Kendall, you have information for me?" he asked.

Dr. Kendall looked up at the Governor but hesitated in answering his question. Victor was more than happy to jump in.

"He has a healed bite on his leg," Victor said. "He says it's from a hunting trip gone bad."

The Governor leaned in and took a closer look at the bite as Daryl struggled in his restraints.

"And what do you think, Dr. Kendall?" the Governor asked.

"Well, it could be from an animal, like he says."

Victor smiled evilly. "It doesn't look like an animal bite to me. It looks like a human bite."

"I agree," the Governor stated. "I want to know what is going on. Try to get more information from our guest, but be careful how far you go. Do not kill him. I am not done with him yet. I have an errand to run and you better have more information when I get back."

With that, the Governor exited the room leaving a cringing Dr. Kendall and a smiling Victor.

* * *

**GOVERNOR'S VISIT**

The Governor arrived at the gates of PRD and received the same welcome that Rick did. The guards were more wary of him as, with the eye patch, he looked like he might be trouble.

When he approached the gates the guards noticed that he had a baby cradled in his arms. The armed guards asked him what he wanted.

"My name is Phillip Blake and this is my daughter. I was hoping to catch up with Rick Grimes. I heard from mutual acquaintances that he was coming here with a small group."

The guards took in the scene and one of them went to the main buildings to find out what to do. Kevin and Susan said to let him in and escort him and his daughter to Kevin's office.

"Thank you for letting me in. I appreciate the hospitality. I lost Penny's mother during her birth and we are always grateful for a chance to rest. My only goal in life now is to keep her safe."

Kevin and Susan acknowledged what he said with nods of their heads.

"She's beautiful," Susan said.

"You just missed Rick and his friends. They left a few hours ago to go back to get the rest of their group," Kevin said.

"That's too bad," the Governor replied. "I haven't seen him in a while and he hasn't ever gotten the chance to see my Penny. Who all came with him on this run? I hope it was people that I know. I'd like to know they are safe."

"He was joined by my sister-in-law, Karen, and a brother and sister named Tyreese and Sasha. Do you know them?" Susan asked.

"I do. I know them all. It is good to hear that they are all together. That may make it easier to catch up with them all," he replied. The Governor then knew that he had been lied to. Glenn was not with them.

"You don't have to tell me, but have you been able to figure any of this out? Is there any hope for the future?" he asked smoothly, nodding his head toward Judith.

The Governor spent the afternoon at PRD before he indicated that he needed to get back to his group. He told Kevin and Susan that they would be happy to return to expand their pool of volunteers in exchange for refuge from the world outside of their gates.

"I am truly sorry that I missed Rick and his people. The Governor reached into his pocket and handed something to Susan. It was a Polaroid picture. "In the meantime, will you pass on this picture of Penny and myself? Let him know that I will catch up with him soon."

The Governor packed Judith up and headed back to his people grinning. Things were about to get very interesting.

* * *

**THE RETURN**

Rick, Tyreese, Sasha, Karen, Glenn and T-dog were both physically and emotionally exhausted by the time they returned to PRD.

"I am so glad you made it back here safely," Susan said. "We can get your group settled for the night immediately. I am sure they are all tired. Where are they?"

Karen broke out in tears. "They were gone. A man who calls himself the Governor attacked our home, destroyed it and took all of our group, except for Glenn and T-dog. They managed to keep from being taken."

Rick introduced T-dog and Glenn to Susan and Kevin.

"I am sorry to hear that," Kevin said. "Hopefully he doesn't come across your friend's group, too."

Rick looked at him with confusion. "What friend?"

"He came here hoping to find you. He had his daughter with him. He is going back to get his people. He said that he would catch up with you soon. He left a picture of him and his baby girl." Susan handed him the photo.

Rick took the photo and looked at it. He immediately started pacing and swearing. Kevin and Susan were confused by his reaction.

Rick turned and showed the photo to the others.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

Glenn turned to them. "That is the man who attacked us. Calls himself the Governor. He has an army of well-armed followers. He destroyed our home and took our people, including Rick's and Karen's children."

"Oh my God," Susan cried out. "Olivia!"

Rick then turned toward them holding out the picture. "The baby in the photo is _my_ baby. Her name is Judith. That bastard kidnapped her."

Karen explained to Susan and Kevin why the Governor is evil. She told them everything about Woodbury, his first attack on the prison, and his subsequent massacre of his own people.

"Please tell me that you didn't say anything to him about the capsules and immunity," Rick said desperately.

"I'm sorry," Kevin said. "We didn't know. We told him everything."


	11. Chapter 11

**Phoenix**

* * *

_author's notes:_

_Woo-hoo! Two chapters in two days (even though this is a short one). I'm on a roll. As outlined right now, it looks like it will be 16 chapters total, but that may change as we go along._

_Thank you again for all of the reviews, Follows and Favorites. I love any feedback I can get._

_Now, we continue…_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

* * *

**PUNISHMENT**

Upon his return, the Governor summoned Dr. Kendall and Victor to a meeting. He gave them the information he had on the capsules and the immunity that they provide.

"Doctor, where did you go to school and do your residency?" the Governor asked.

"Emory," he replied.

"I take it they have advanced laboratory facilities."

"Yes, they do."

"Then that's where we'll be headed, but first, join me in a little demonstration."

The men go out into the large main area. The three remaining groups of captives are in the room along with the Governor's men. Daryl and Michonne are still missing.

The Governor signals to one of his men who grabs Beth and drags her to the front. She is turned to face away from the audience. Her hands are tied above her head and her shirt is cut down the center of her back.

"This is what happens when you lie to me."

The snap of leather strap left a long, angry, red line across the smooth white skin. Her scream echoed off the walls. The action was repeated four times before she was cut down.

All the hostages were then tied and blindfolded for transfer to the new location. No one in the group of prisoners was told anything.

* * *

**INCENTIVE**

Once at new location, the group is once again assembled and the Governor began his speech.

"Unfortunately, my errand to PRD did not yield an encounter with Rick and his little band of merry men, or women as the case may be. However, it was a very productive venture, nonetheless. I have already filled in our esteemed doctor and his assistant on what I discovered and I am going to share some of that information with you all.

"From what I have learned, the virus has made an interesting mutation allowing for some immunity from the bites of the infected. I have tasked my medical personnel to figure out the details. They have a lot of work ahead of them. There will be a lot of exciting things happening. I expect a great deal from Dr. Kendall and Mr. Hertz. I expect a great deal from you all, loyalty being one of the most important."

He has Maggie, Beth and Carl brought to the front.

"To provide incentive, I have come up with a reward system for those who please me. Now, both of these lovely ladies have a bit of damage. They are marked up a little. Some of you may actually find that to be an attribute rather than a defect. Take Miss Maggie here. She could be considered used goods but could also be considered to be 'broken in.' Little Beth…I'd bet my other eye that she's a virgin. She will need to be saved for something really deserving. And last, we have young Mr. Grimes. He may be a just reward, depending upon the personal preferences of the recipient. There are probably a lot of 'first times' to be had there. And, last, but certainly not least, we do also have a pool of other women and children, depending upon the proclivities of the winner of the reward."

The doctor does not like the look that Victor is giving Beth.

Maggie leans forward and spits on the Governor. "You sick fuck!"

The Governor backhands her then turns to his men.

"Lock them up. I want them and the old man in four separate rooms with no chance of any communication between them." He turns to what's left of the Woodbury women.

"Put them in the section by the laboratories. It is fortuitous that I did not kill you. You have become useful to me as test subjects as you are all expendable." The women looked terrified and some began to cry.

"Put the children in the pediatric area. Her," he said pointing to one of the women. "Put her in with the children to keep them in line." He turned to her. "Which you will do or I will find someone who can." She nodded her understanding, just grateful that she may escape the fate of the others, at least for now.

The groups were removed to their respective areas at gunpoint.

* * *

**MISSION**

The Governor turned to Dr. Kendall and Victor.

"You will use the Woodbury traitors as needed for testing. If you run out of the women, move on to the children. Do not use the prison group, including the baby. Also do not kill Daryl or harm him any further than absolutely necessary. I have plans for all of them."

Dr. Kendall looked at the Governor. "Even with the new information and the proper facilities, if the others haven't figured out how to make the capsules, I don't know how we'll be able to."

"Oh, you misunderstand me," the Governor stated softly. "I don't want to create the capsules. I want you to find a way to destroy them."


	12. Chapter 12

**Phoenix**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

One week turned into one month, and one month turned into two with no sign of the Governor or their own people.

Based on information given to the Governor, they were searching any medical facilities they could find. They were sure he had to be somewhere that he could use that information. They continued to search, split into pairs to cover more ground. Several from PRD volunteered to help with the search. They were able to pair one in their group with one from PRD. This allowed them to cover more ground and for that they were grateful. They returned to PRD on a schedule to compare notes and map out the next assignments. If a pair found them, they were not to engage. They were to return to let the others know so they could come up with a plan.

* * *

**WELL DONE**

Hershel, Maggie, Beth and Carl remained separated and had not had contact with each other or any of the other prisoners since they first got there. They were unsure of how long they had been there, or even where "there" was. They were blindfolded when they arrived and were being kept in windowless rooms. They were given minimal food and water, just enough to keep them alive. The Governor's men controlled whether it was light or dark, hot or cold, wet or dry. The sensory deprivation or overload as the case may be was having an effect on all of them.

The Governor's men continued to test on Daryl and the women. Eight out of nine of the women infected had survived to be test subjects. However, they continued to use Daryl as well. He was weak from hunger, dehydration and sedation. They didn't sedate him enough to keep him from feeling pain, only enough to keep him in line.

The Governor approached Dr. Kendall one morning.

"I don't understand what is taking so long," he stated.

Dr. Kendall looked at him. "Governor, it is a long process to test, make changes and retest. There are a lot of factors involved."

"Even so, I believe you should be making more progress," the Governor responded.

"We are working as fast as we can. I will keep you updated. If we find anything, you will be the first to know."

The Governor glanced at Victor who made a small nod of his head indicating that he believed Dr. Kendall was telling the truth.

"Fine. I expect results soon. If you can't handle this, I may have to work on finding someone who can."

Victor had indicated to the Governor that he thought Dr. Kendall was being truthful about how long it was taking, but Victor was beginning to wonder if he was dragging it out because he was enjoying his work so much. Victor certainly knew _he_ was having a good time.

It was a week later when Victor happened to be looking over Dr. Kendall's shoulder as they witnessed something significant. They accomplished their goal. At that point, they advised the Governor of the status of their little project.

They had developed a serum that, when given to the test subjects, disintegrated the capsules within a few hours leaving the person unprotected. Anyone given the serum and then bit, would react as before the capsules generated. They would die and then come back. For those already with bites, when given the serum, once capsules degenerate to a point that the person is susceptible, the virus was allowed to overwhelm the victim as it would have if bit prior to the capsule generation. Once given the serum and the capsules disintegrate and the person is not bit, eventually enough of the capsules would be recreated by the virus to make the person immune again. Then the serum could be re-administered to destroy them again.

The Governor ordered his men to dispose of the test subjects and gather everyone together.

"Welcome to another one of our little assemblies. As you can see looking around, our guest count has dwindled by a great degree. However, those most important are here," he said indicating the four from the prison. "True to my word, I reward excellence. Dr. Kendall and Mr. Hertz have achieved their assigned goal and will now be justly rewarded. Dr. Kendall, you may choose first."

The doctor looked between the three "prizes."

"I select Beth," he stated much to Victor's disappointment.

"A fine choice," the Governor acknowledged with an evil grin. The Governor indicated to Victor to make his selection. He selected Maggie.

The Governor walked up to Carl. "Aw, pity. Maybe next time, yes?"

The women are led out by the men, along with armed escorts.

* * *

**RECON**

T-dog and his partner from PRD, Emily, approached the complex as carefully as they could. They needed to get close enough to do recon, yet not get caught. After watching for full day, they determined that this was the group they were looking for. Even though they had not seen any of the prisoners, they had spotted several men that they recognized from the prison attack so they knew they were in the right place. They needed to get back to PRD.

* * *

**REWARD**

As soon as they returned to Beth's room, Dr. Kendall pressed her up against the wall with his hand over her mouth.

"You need to calm down and quit fighting me. I'm not going to hurt you. If I remove my hand, will you do that?" She nodded in agreement but he still saw the fear and hatred in her eyes.

"My name is Chase Kendall. I am a doctor. I was doing my residency at Emory University. That's where we are, at the medical school. After this all went down, I escaped with a few other people. The Governor found us outside of Atlanta. He killed my entire group, except for me and my daughter Leigh. He has kept her as an incentive to work hard and be loyal to him. I tried to stall creating the serum as long as I could," he said. She looked confused.

"What serum? I don't understand."

"The Governor found out that the virus was encapsulating making it dormant and basically providing immunity against bites. It's why your man Daryl wasn't affected when he got bit. He put Victor and me to work to figure out how to disintegrate the capsules. That way he can control who is immune and who isn't."

"Oh, God," she said wide-eyed. "And you were able to do it?"

"I had no choice. I stalled as long as I could. Victor saw something I was trying to hide and I knew I had no choice but to tell him we had found what he was looking for. When he offered to give us a reward, I chose you to help you. Victor had his eye on you. I couldn't let him have you. He is a _very_ bad person. I'm sorry I couldn't help your sister. At least the boy is safe, for now."

Beth nodded. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It's not over yet. We need to pretend. Do you understand?" She nodded. "We need to make it look good. They're going to want to see it." She nodded again.

"Do what you have to do," she said.

"It goes both ways. Hit, scratch, bite…whatever," he said.

He cringed and backhanded her across her cheek. She lunged at him screaming. They struggled back and forth hitting, kicking, scratching, and making a lot of noise. After a while, they stopped and collapsed. They were both significantly disheveled, bruised and bleeding.

"You ok, doc? Got kind of quiet," said the guard outside the door.

"Shut the hell up and mind your own business!" Chase yelled. The guard heard Beth yelp and start to cry. The guard outside the door grinned lasciviously, adjusting himself as he heard the noises coming from inside the room.

The next morning they were summoned to the gathering area along with everyone else. Chase looked at Beth and told her to act broken.

Once the Governor saw their condition, he smiled. "Well, Doctor, looks like you might have had a fun night. Looks like she put up quite a fight."

"She did," he replied. "But she knows her place now. She probably will need some recovery time. Needs to heal some, if you know what I mean," he said trying to buy some time to keep her safe.

"Yes, I do understand," the Governor said, "however, it really isn't going to be a problem." Dr. Kendall looked at him in confusion.

Beth was unceremoniously pushed toward Hershel who enveloped her in a hug. To Chase's relief, Beth almost collapsed and broke down crying in his arms. 'Good girl,' he thought.

The Governor noticed that Victor had not returned with Maggie. He instructed one of his men to fetch them, thinking Victor was just trying to get in some last-minute fun with his prize.

The man returned with Maggie and the guard. He turned to the Governor.

"I heard them last night. Thought Victor was just having some fun. Sounded like quite a struggle. She apparently had the upper hand. Turns out she killed him," he said to the Governor.

He approached Maggie. "I'm impressed. I knew you'd be a spitfire. I'd love to have some more time to test that theory, but I have a new plan. Time to have some fun," he said sadistically.

* * *

**CELEBRATION**

Hershel, Beth, Maggie, and Carl were tied up in front of the group. The children were brought in escorted by the lone surviving Woodbury woman and grouped off to one side.

Michonne and Daryl were then brought in. Michonne was tied up next to Carl and Daryl was placed on the end. This was the first time the other four had seen Michonne or Daryl since this whole thing began. Michonne had a bandage over one eye and they could see that one side of her face was carved up, yet still was still stoic. Daryl was beaten, bloody, shirtless and his arms were covered in bites at various stages of healing. Even in his state, he was obviously pissed off and fighting against the restraints.

"Welcome, everyone," the Governor said in his grandiose manner, addressing his troops. "It is a time to celebrate our greatest achievement: the ability to determine immunity. Immunity is now a privilege that can be taken away at any time. If the serum to take away immunity is administered and then the person is bit, they will react as they always have: they will change and return. Most interesting, though, is that when administered to someone who has already been bit, the reaction is immediate and the person dies and reanimates without needing a new bite.

"Now, on with our show, so to speak." He unveils a display showing six syringes filled with a clear liquid. "The serum will be given to all of the people on this little stage of mine. As the first five here…the Greenes, the boy, and Michonne…they will lose any immunity they may have. That will make them susceptible to bites. Now, here's where it will get really entertaining. Mr. Dixon down there on the end…well, as you can see, he has already been bit, a number of times. Once he is given the serum, we will be able to see as the virus is reactivated. We will be able to watch him change, although this will be a long, painful process. And, for the pièce de résistance, he will bite the rest of them."

The doctor approached each and injected them. As he injected Beth, he could see the betrayal and hurt in her eyes. Once the five had been injected, he approached Daryl with the sixth syringe. Daryl continue to struggle even as he could feel the needle pierce his skin and the cold fluid flow into his vein. He was grateful Glenn was not there to see what was about to happen.


	13. Chapter 13

**Phoenix**

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_Thank you to anyone who has left a review. I have been very lax about responding to them and for that I apologize. I know it isn't fair of me to ask for reviews and then seem like I don't care by not acknowledging them. I really have no excuses. I just wanted to let you know that I really do appreciate your feedback._

_There is a little medical stuff in this chapter. As stated in earlier chapters, please forgive my lack of any real knowledge. _

_I ended up combining two chapters together. Since these are combined, the story will actually only be 15 chapters now. _

_Hope you enjoy…_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

* * *

**BATTLE**

Just as the last of the liquid in the syringe disappeared into Daryl's vein, there were explosions, bright lights and smoke. Chase took advantage and reached behind Daryl, cut his ties and put the knife in Daryl's hand.

"Go kill the son of a bitch. I'll get the others free." Daryl nodded and took off after the Governor.

Chase quickly moved down the line freeing Michonne, Carl and Maggie, As the ropes fell free, they were met by Tyreese, T-dog and Sasha who were handing off weapons and they all jumped into the fray. Chase then cut Beth and Hershel free, grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her to safety with Hershel right behind them.

Carl's first thought was of Judith and immediately headed for the children. He saw Karen getting there just ahead of him. He felt a sharp pain on the side of his head and Martinez stepped into his line of sight.

In addition to the gunfire, random explosions and fires added to the chaos around them. A good portion of the Governor's men went down in the first hail of gunfire in the surprise attack. Glenn, Rick, Tyreese, T-dog, Sasha, Maggie and Michonne were in the thick of things trying to eliminate the rest of them.

The gunfire lessened and finally stopped. The group members gradually came out and met up with each other. With the fires still burning, the smoke was getting thicker. The smell of gunpowder was heavy in the air.

Rick started to yell for Carl. He came running up holding Judith, blood dripping down the side of his face. Rick pulled them both to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked Carl.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a graze. I'm fine. Judith's fine." He hugged them both again.

Over Carl's shoulder, Rick and Maggie saw each other. They moved toward each other and as soon as Maggie was close enough, she launched herself at Rick who caught her with ease.

"Thank God. Baby, I was so worried," he whispered to her.

"It's ok. I knew you'd find us," she said.

"Jesus, you're covered in blood," he said looking her over.

"I'm ok," she said. "It's just my arm. Bullet went clean through."

He pressed his lips to hers. When they separated, they pulled Carl and Judith in and stood holding each other for a minute.

Sasha joined the group. "I tried to go after Martinez as soon as it began, but I lost him in the craziness."

Karen jogged up carrying Olivia. "Don't worry about him. He was headed for the children. He shot the woman but Carl got him before he got to do anything to the children. T-dog is with them now."

Rick heard the doctor sob in relief at hearing the children were safe. Rick grabbed him and put him on knees.

"Why should I let you live?" he hissed pointing his revolver at the doctor's head.

"Wait! Wait! Stop! He saved Daddy and me," Beth screamed trying to get in between Rick and Chase.

"He saved us both when the fighting started," Hershel added. "And he cut them loose so they could fight."

"So what!" Maggie said with outrage. "That doesn't matter. He _hurt_ you," Maggie yelled. "He _violated_ you. He injected us with that poison. He killed Daryl with it same as if he shot him in the head and he put the rest of us in danger! Beth, what are _thinking_ trying to defend him?"

"No, no, he didn't," Beth replied. "I'll fill you in later. We don't have time for this right now. Chase, tell them!"

He looked at them. "The real serum is secured. I hid it. Everything marked as the serum was just normal saline. It's harmless IV solution. The Governor didn't know. None of them got the real serum."

"Where's Daryl?" Glenn asked.

"He went after the Governor," Chase said.

"What direction?" Michonne asked.

"They headed that way," he said as he pointed toward a side corridor.

Glenn started off with Michonne and Rick right behind him.

* * *

**DOWNFALL**

Glenn, Rick and Michonne rounded the corner to see Daryl and the Governor battered and bleeding as they struggled against one another. Daryl grasped the Governor by the throat.

"I told you I would kill you," he growled. Daryl gripped his knife tightly and thrust it forward into the Gov giving it a vicious twist at the end. The Governor slid to the ground. He was bleeding from his mouth and gasping for breath but he was still conscious.

"Won't change the fact that you will die and you will change," he hissed with a smirk. Rick ran up and leaned over the Governor.

"Well, that's where you're wrong," he told him smiling. "Your doctor wasn't very loyal. He switched the serum for something harmless. None of them got the serum. They are all going to be just fine."

Glenn stood over the Governor. "You lose," he said as the Governor took his last breath and then he shot the Governor right in the middle of his forehead.

Daryl stumbled and they turned to look at him. All three were staring at the knife protruding from the side of Daryl's chest.

* * *

**AFTERMATH**

Daryl looked at Glenn in shock. Glenn and Rick ran over and eased Daryl to the floor.

"Can't…breathe…" he gasped, grabbing at Glenn. Rick ran back down the corridor.

"Doc, we need some help down here," he yelled. The others ran down to where Rick, Daryl, Glenn and Michonne were.

Chase did a quick evaluation of his patient. "It went in between his ribs. His lung's collapsed."

"What should we do?" Glenn asked.

"Do not pull knife out. It's too dangerous. I'll be right back," he said. He ran up and grabbed the syringe he used for Daryl's injection. He took the plunger out of the syringe and pushed the needle into Daryl's chest. They could all hear the hiss of the air escaping. It was far less than sanitary, but Chase figured that at least he may live to fight any possible infection. Chase turned to Glenn.

"Give me your shirt," he ordered. Glenn quickly peeled the button down shirt off leaving him in his t-shirt. Chase cut it up. He used it to tie the knife and wrapped it around Daryl's chest to stabilize the knife. Even through a pain-filled fog, Daryl had a sense of déjà vu flashing to when he did something similar to anchor the arrow that had pierced his side during his search for Sophia.

Once again, Chase looked to Glenn.

"I need you to keep the needle steady. Also, hold your finger over the end and then take it off. Coordinate with his breaths to allow air out through the needle but not back in, like this." Glenn nodded his understanding. "I can't do anything else here. The fires are out of control. This is a research laboratory. There are gas lines everywhere. We need to get out of here."

"We'll take one of the Governor's big trucks and get back to where we are staying," Rick said to Chase. "They have medical facilities. We'll get him out to the truck. I need you to get the serum and your research. Tyreese, can you help him carry whatever he needs?" They both nodded and took off to another area of the building.

As they were outside coordinating transportation, Chase and Tyreese returned carrying a couple of boxes, a locked briefcase and a large duffel bag.

"T-dog, Karen, can we drop you at the cars to bring them back to the lab?"

"Yeah," Karen said. T-dog nodded. Karen looked down at his tightly wrapped leg.

"Are you ok to drive?" Karen asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied. "Let's go."

Rick walked over to get into the driver's seat of the truck but Sasha intercepted him.

"Ride with your family and Maggie. I got this," she said. Rick was torn between his responsibility to get the group back to PRD and wanting to be with Maggie, Carl and Judith.

"Seriously, it doesn't always have to be you. We take care of each other. I'll get us there. Go." He nodded and got into the back of the truck with the others.

A few minutes down the road, they heard the catastrophic explosions pulverizing the medical school.

Looking around, the adrenaline crash was obvious. Everyone in the truck was showing the exhaustion. They were dirty, sweaty, bloody and dehydrated. The smell of smoke and gunpowder was almost overpowering. Everyone was silent. The only sound was the steady hiss of air escaping from Daryl's chest as Glenn continued with the pattern shown to him by Chase.

Rick looked around taking inventory. Maggie had a gunshot wound to her upper arm. Carl had bullet burn leaving a laceration across his scalp. The thought of how close that was made Rick feel sick. He couldn't get a clear picture of Michonne's eye and face injuries, but he was sure her injuries were extensive. Chase and Tyreese had some minor burns from when they recovered Chase's research from the burning lab. There were also various minor cuts, contusions and abrasions. Beth and Chase both showed the remnants of the fight that they staged in her room, but she and Hershel were relatively unscathed thanks to Chase's quick action.

The doctor and the children were the only survivors of Woodbury or the Governor's group. In addition to Judith, eight children survived with ages ranging from 18 months to 10 years old. That meant that, along with Judith, Olivia and Leigh, they now had six orphaned children with them. Chase was holding Leigh and Rick was holding Judith. Karen had taken Olivia with her. Beth was sitting with the other six children who were huddled together seeking comfort from one another.

* * *

**TREATMENT**

As soon as they got to PRD, medical teams took everyone in to evaluate them and treat their injuries.

Rick, holding Judith, went with Carl, unable to let them out of his sight.

"How is he?" Rick asked the doctor who was treating Carl.

"The bullet only grazed him. I'll sew it up and he'll be as good as new. He will probably have quite a headache for a while, though."

"Dad, I'm fine. We are all safe now. Go and find Maggie." Rick pulled Carl to him.

"I am so proud of you," he told Carl. "The children, including Judith, are alive because of you."

"Thanks, Dad," Carl said blushing. "Now, go!" he said giving him a little push toward the door.

From the next bed over, as T-dog was getting his leg stitched, he was laughing to himself. '_Maggie and Rick? How did we miss that?'_

Maggie ended up with a bullet wound through the muscle of upper arm. Luckily, it missed the bones and joints. It was cleaned out and bandaged. It would hurt like hell for a while, but it would heal. Chase and Tyreese both had some minor burns that they needed to keep bandaged and dry. Chase's and Beth's other minor injuries were cleaned up, but nothing else needed to be done for them. For Michonne, there wasn't much they could do. Her wounds were older and her eye was simply unsalvageable. Everyone injured was put on antibiotics to prevent infection.

Daryl was by far the most serious. As soon as they arrived, Kevin put in a chest tube and he and Susan took Daryl into surgery. The surgery to remove the knife was successful. The bite wounds were cleaned out and stitched where needed and he was placed on a strong IV antibiotic. He would recover physically but it would take time. Emotionally, they weren't sure.

* * *

**AWAKENING**

Daryl slowly felt the fog lifting and the pain invading his consciousness. He could feel a hand in his and knew it was Glenn's. He cracked his eyes open, glanced around and took inventory. Daryl's arms and chest were wrapped in bandages and he had an IV in one of his hands. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan that immediately alerted Glenn to his awakening.

Glenn jumped up, happy to see Daryl awake. He leaned over him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Hey," Glenn said as he brushed the hair from Daryl's forehead. "Are you in pain? I can have someone get you some pain medicine."

"Nah, 'm ok right now," he whispered hoarsely.

"Do you want some water?" Glenn asked. Daryl nodded. Glenn held the cup and straw to Daryl's lips and he took a few sips.

"What happened?" Daryl asked.

Glenn filled him in on everything that went down with the rescue and his fight with the Governor. Glenn updated him on everyone's injuries and treatment. Daryl nodded.

"Want you closer," Daryl whispered. He carefully shifted over in the bed, allowing a small hiss of pain to escape.

"Stop. You're hurting yourself."

"No," Daryl said. "Need this." He continued to scoot over.

Glenn slipped into Daryl's bed, laying on his side facing Daryl. He put his head on Daryl's pillow and his hand on Daryl's chest, feeling the rise and fall. Daryl turned his head so could feel Glenn's forehead against his cheek and Glenn's breath against his neck.

"That's better," Daryl said with a sigh and then he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

**SCARS**

The first time Daryl saw his arms without the bandages, he had gotten physically ill. After that, he had them covered at all times. He even tried not to let Glenn see them. He was withdrawn and edgy. He didn't want to be around any of the others. He rarely came out of their room. When he did it was only to pass through to get outside. He'd leave for days at a time, alone with his crossbow. Glenn knew it wasn't about aesthetics. Daryl wasn't vain and everyone knew that. This was something deeper. Glenn knew Daryl needed time to work it all out and tried to support him in any way that he could.

They were lying in bed one night. Their kissing was becoming more passionate and progressing into more. When Glenn reached for Daryl's shirt, he pulled up and away.

"Daryl, I don't care about some scars. You know that."

"Well I do," Daryl said, hitting the wall in frustration. "They just show the whole world what my daddy told me my whole life…I'm weak…a sorry excuse for a son and a waste of breath. My old man taught me that with his belt and the Governor taught me the same thing with what he did."

"Daryl, I'm not going to offer platitudes like 'I don't see them, I only see you' because I _do_ see them and they are a part of you. When I see them, I'm not disgusted. I'm proud…proud of who you became despite the scars on your back and proud of who you are despite the scars on your arms. I see decency and goodness. I see courage and I see strength. You are the best person I have ever known. I love you…_all_ of you."

Glenn kissed him lightly and pulled at Daryl's shirt again. Daryl let him slide it off, baring his chest, back and arms. Glenn slid his fingers across Daryl's back, around to his chest and down his arm. This wasn't the first time they made love since the rescue and Daryl's recovery, but it was the first time that they were completely bare, skin to skin, and it felt amazing. Afterwards, they fell asleep. For the first time in a long time Daryl didn't have any nightmares.

* * *

**TRYING**

PRD continued to work on capsule development. Chase reviewed all of his research with them and gave them all of the serum that he had created. He hoped it could help them. They thought that if they can see how the capsules can be destroyed, it may help them figure out how to create them. They all knew, however, that it was much harder to create something out of nothing than to find a weakness and destroy something that exists.

* * *

**CONVERSATION**

Chase slowly approached Daryl who was sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria.

"Daryl, do you have a minute?" Chase asked. Daryl looked up at him. He could tell Chase was uncomfortable and would probably rather be anywhere else right at that particular moment.

"Guess so," he replied giving a curt single nod toward the chair across from him. Chase sat down. Chase looked down at the table. "So, ya got somethin' to say, or what?"

"I don't know where to start. I am so sorry for what I did." Chase took a breath and opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but nothing came out.

"Ya want me to tell ya it's all ok? That it?" Daryl asked.

"No, I don't expect that and I don't deserve it. I don't know why I came over. Just wanted to let you know that I will regret what I did every minute of every day for the rest of my life. I know it doesn't fix anything. I'm sorry to bother you." Chase made a move to leave.

Daryl held his hand up to indicate to Chase to sit back down.

"Governor had your daughter, right?" Daryl asked. Chase nodded.

"Leigh. She's only 18 months old…still a baby. I'd do anything to keep her safe." Daryl thought about that for a minute, about what he might have done in the same situation. What if someone had Glenn and was blackmailing him by using Glenn's life as leverage? Would he have done differently? Would he have the ability to gamble with the life of the only person he ever loved, even if it was the right thing to do?

"Sounds like ya didn't have a choice. Ya can't choose some stranger over your own kid. Ya did what ya had to."

"I should have come up with something."

"I know who it was that did the bad stuff. It was that bastard ya had to work with. You was never there when they was questioning me. You was never there when they's torturing me. I know ya tried to keep the Governor from getting what he wanted."

"I should have stopped them. I should have been stronger, should have done more."

"I can't tell ya what ya should'a or shouldn't'a done. Can't change the past. Can only deal with today."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Ya saved Beth from that sadistic fuck. Ya hid the serum from the Governor. Ya made sure he couldn't use it. Ya cut all of us loose and ya took care of Beth and Hershel when the shit all went down. Ya tried to make it right. It took a while, but ya tried t'make it right."

"I'm still trying. I'll keep trying. Thanks for talking to me," Chase said getting up. Daryl tipped his chin up acknowledging him. They both knew they still had a long way to go, but it was a beginning.

* * *

_A/N: I was going to end the chapter with the knife sticking out of Daryl's chest, but decided to add the next chapter right onto this one. I have to admit, though, while I hate reading cliff-hangers, they are a ball to write. Still, I decided to give you guys a break. Please note, though, regardless of how a chapter ends, I will never leave a story unfinished. There will always be a real ending. I will not leave you hanging. The last two chapters are outlined so hopefully I'll get them written and published soon. _


	14. Chapter 14

**Phoenix**

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_There is a lot of emotional stuff in this chapter…like you might want some Kleenex and probably some wine, too. _

_The good news is that there isn't a cliff-hanger._

_The bad news is…yep, it's TWD. You know what that means… _

* * *

**Chapter 14**

* * *

**SIX MONTHS LATER **

The physical and emotional scars seemed to be fading. Life at PRD had settled into a routine, with everyone contributing to the community.

They were all doing their best to provide a sense of normalcy, especially for the children. All the children five and older went to school. It made Hershel think of the old-time one-room schoolhouses. The children were also taught skills that they would need in this new world. Even with the reduced risk from the walkers thanks to the capsules around the virus, there still was a risk from other people, as they learned very well after dealing with the Governor. Most of the time, everyone stayed in the compound unless there was a need to try to get more supplies. The older children were taken outside of the compound to learn how to hunt. Daryl was the expert but everyone knew that he liked to hunt alone and had minimal patience, so Glenn always went with them to act as a buffer.

Others contributed in areas where their skills best matched. Beth worked with a few other women in the daycare, which was set up for children too young for school. They also helped take care of the orphaned children. They worked together to make sure that all of the needs of the children were being met. Rick, Maggie, Tyreese, Sasha, Michonne and T-dog all participated in the security detail.

Rick, Maggie, Carl and Judith were settling into a family life. People in their group were surprised initially to find out that Rick and Maggie had been together for a while, but when they really thought about it, they realized they shouldn't have been. There had always been a special bond between them. Carl thought it was great that Maggie was now part of their family. Judith would never know a time when Maggie wasn't.

Beth had gotten close to Chase and Leigh. Some were worried that she might have a little "white horse" syndrome in that she had a hero worship for the man who saved her. As time went on, it really was apparent that he was just as taken with her, and Leigh absolutely adored her. It was only a few months after their return to PRD when Chase asked Hershel for Beth's hand. With his blessing, Chase asked Beth to marry him and she, of course, said yes. When Leigh called her "Mama" for the first time, Beth cried.

PRD continued to work on developing their vaccine, or anti-viral medication, or whatever you wanted to call it. They needed all the help they could get and there was no shortage of volunteers willing to help. Their standards for human testing were different now. It was difficult to balance "do no harm" when the information was so desperately needed, but they had lines that, even in this new world, they would not cross. If they did, they'd be just like the Governor. They knew they were getting closer, seemingly right on the verge of the answer, but there just seemed to be a piece of the puzzle missing.

PRD's development took on a new urgency when something unexpected happened. Someone working for PRD got bit. As had become the norm, no one expected a reaction. This, however, was a mistake. He was sick within a few hours and dead less than a day after the bite. Then he came back. He had previously tested at 96% which is why no one thought he was in danger. They retested him and saw that his capsule count had plummeted to nearly zero. They retested everyone and determined that the capsule counts were decreasing at an alarming rate. It really came to a head when the bite survivors started getting sick.

They determined that, like the capsule creation, the loss of the capsules was also a natural phenomenon. Unfortunately it was one with similar outcomes as when Governor's serum dissolved capsules. If there was disintegration, but the person was not bit, the person will only have a reaction if they are bit or when they die for some other reason. If capsule disintegration occurs in a person with an existing bite, once the capsule level decreased enough, the disease process would start and the virus would be able to overwhelm its host.

Those with bites continued to hope but they knew what was coming and, so far, couldn't do anything about it. Once their capsule count became low enough, they would start to feel the effects.

* * *

**SACRIFICE**

In their group, Glenn was the first to get sick. He wanted to help them find a solution so he told them to do whatever tests they needed to do to figure it out. He would hold on as long as he could in order for them to get every bit of information that they could.

Glenn continued to get sicker. Late one night, Glenn and Daryl were laying facing each other with their hands clutched between them. Daryl was watching Glenn sleep. Glenn opened his eyes and looked into Daryl's.

"We've had a lot of time…," Glenn said, through labored breaths, "that we shouldn't… have had… I'm grateful… for every second… of it."

"Me too, Short Round, me too. Every single second." Daryl said. Glenn smiled at the name and drifted back to sleep. Daryl raised a finger and ran it over Glenn's lips, now graced with a bluish tinge. He watched Glenn working to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Daryl chanted the mantra in his head with each cycle.

As PRD continued to work around the clock, Glenn continued to get worse, seemingly hourly. They knew Glenn was dying and wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. The pain he was in had to be indescribable.

"Daryl… need to see… doctors," Glenn gasped out. Daryl got Kevin, Susan and Chase. "Almost done… know you… need more… don't shoot me… use me… instead… anesthesia… take what you need… then Daryl… can do… what I need… him to do." The doctors were shocked.

Daryl looked him in the eyes. "I'm only gonna ask ya one time. Are ya sure?"

"Yes… Let them do… what they need to… then you make sure… I'm taken… care of."

Daryl respected his decision. Even though it was the hardest thing he ever had to do, he nodded in agreement. Susan exchanged glances with Kevin and Chase. She then left the room quietly to get what was needed. Daryl leaned over and gave Glenn and gentle kiss.

"You have… a fever," Glenn said.

"I'm fine," Daryl whispered.

"It's time," Glenn said. "S'ok… pain'll be gone… want to help."

"I know," Daryl replied. "I'm gonna see if I can help, too, then I'll be right behind ya."

"Fight… if you can… if they figure… it out… keep promise… like before… you better… choose to live… if you can."

"I love you so much."

"Love… you… too."

"I'll be there soon."

"I'll… be… waiting."

Glenn nodded to Susan and watched as she put an injection into his IV line.

With a small smile and Daryl's lips on his in a final kiss, Glenn faded away.

PRD got the information they were unable to get before. Daryl appreciated that they were very respectful of Glenn and were honoring his sacrifice. Daryl stayed with him until the end. After PRD did their part, Daryl did his.

* * *

**SUCCESS**

It was a couple of days later when Daryl started to get sick.

"Well, Doc, time to get the party started," Daryl said with a sad smile. He sat down on the bed and watched as they started his IV.

Rick stayed with him most of the time, occasionally relieved by Hershel or Maggie. The days dragged on while Daryl got worse and worse. Periodically one of the doctors would come in and inject something or take more blood or cell samples. Nothing seemed to slow the virus down. Daryl's pain was getting worse. The medications could no longer control it. They knew Daryl was running out of fight.

Rick was sitting at Daryl's bedside when Kevin, Susan and Chase came in. From Daryl's position curled up on his side, Daryl tilted his face toward them and looked at them.

"m'tired… yer running… out of time… t'figure… it out."

"That's why we're here," Chase said quietly. "We used all the information that we got from you and Glenn. We did it. We made a serum that will create capsules. It will create capsules for anyone missing them and it will create capsules for those that had the capsules disintegrate. We found the missing piece of the puzzle thanks to you."

"That great!" Rick said. "So you have the cure." Chase looked at him with sadness.

"Daryl..."

"Already… know," he said gasping. "S'too late… for me… 'm too… far gone."

"Yes," Kevin said. "I'm so sorry."

"Wait…wait," Rick said. "You just said that you have a cure. How is it too late?"

"Too many of his systems are already failing. Recreating the capsules at this point won't help," Kevin tried to explain.

"Rick… s'ok… really… want to be… with Glenn… only reason… for living… already gone… m'ready… to go," Daryl said, struggling for every breath and the pain showing on his face. Susan leaned forward to get Daryl's attention.

"Daryl," she said, "we can do like we did for Glenn, when you're ready," she offered. He nodded.

"M'ready… now," Daryl gasped. "Rick… once told ya… no reason… ya needed… t'do… all the… heavy liftin'."

"I remember."

"Still… m'gonna ask ya… for a favor… m'gonna ask that… you do it… K?"

"Yeah, Daryl, I'll do it. I promise."

"Thank you."

"Tell Glenn that they were successful," Rick said, grasping Daryl's hand. "You both saved us all."

"I will… see ya… on the… other side… Brother."

"Yeah," Rick said through his tears. "See you on the other side."

Daryl nodded and Chase administered the injection. Rick stayed and fulfilled his promise.

* * *

_A/N: I know, you all probably hate me right now. I hope I don't have a bunch of people now "Un-Follow-ing" and "Un-Favorite-ing" my story right now. _

_There is only one more chapter which is the Epilogue, so I hope you stick it out. The final chapter will also be posted today._


	15. Chapter 15

**Phoenix**

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_I guess if you're reading this, you made it through Chapter 14 and decided to see this through to the end. I am glad that you did._

_Thank you to everyone who joined me in this adventure. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

* * *

**Chapter 15**

* * *

**FOUR YEARS LATER**

The serum continued to work. Everyone was periodically tested for their capsule level and given booster shots of the serum.

The walker population decreased significantly, either killed or decomposed. Most people continued to live in rural areas at the beginning. Later, though, as cities were cleared, infrastructure started to return. It was easier in cities where the population wasn't so spread out so that is where there was power, water, sewage and other things that had been missing. Some people, however, were still very wary of living in close proximity to a large number of people after what happened.

There were still some bad people preying on others, but there always were and always would be. Law enforcement was re-established early on to help deal with these people and protect the others. There was also a new military but they were mostly tasked with cleaning out the cities that were being re-established.

* * *

**HOME**

The group stayed at PRD for a while, but as the population at the complex rose, they started feeling antsy. What was remaining of core group decided to return to Greene farm. It was Hershel's idea. He was eager to go home and wanted to have his whole family there. They ended up fixing and enlarging the house, building a new barn and re-establishing the gardens and livestock. It turned into a productive farm and life was good.

Hershel was the proud patriarch. He didn't do as much of the day-to-day heavy work on the farm as he had years ago. He was happy to help where he could and spend time with his children and grandchildren, something he thought he'd never get to do.

Rick and Maggie were married in ceremony, although they as far as they were concerned they had been married for years. Carl was able to spend the last couple of years of his youth just being a kid again. Judith was thriving and, thankfully she won't have memories of the dark days. In addition, Rick and Maggie adopted Christopher and Katelyn, six year old twins orphaned by the Governor. Maggie had not been able to get pregnant. While others disappointed for her, she was perfectly happy raising Carl, Christopher, Katelyn and Judith and being a loving aunt to her niece and nephew

Beth, Chase and their two children were enjoying life on the farm. Chase was sought after to treat folks in the area for a variety of maladies. He generally handled the human patients while Hershel returned to his true calling and took care of the four-legged ones. Leigh was beautiful, happy and healthy. She was best friends with Judith. They were inseparable and so close in age one might have thought _they_ were the twins.

Beth and Chase's son was born one year after losing Glenn and Daryl. They thought of naming him Daryl or Glenn or both, and they surprised many people when they didn't. While they loved both names, they decided they wanted something that would honor Glenn and Daryl and the men that they were so they named him Jason Sloane Kendall…Jason meaning "healer" and Sloane meaning "warrior."

T-Dog married a wonderful woman that he met at PRD. They stayed at farm for a while after PRD, but went in search of her family in Florida. It was almost a year later when they heard from him again. Basic postal service had been started; however, living in the country, delivery was a bit inconsistent to say the least. The letter was brief, but let them know that they found her brother and father so they decided to stay in Florida.

Michonne never spoke to anyone about what the Governor had done to her. She was invited to the farm along with the rest of their family, but she opted for a nomadic lifestyle. She did, however, return to the farm a couple of times a year. They had tried several times to get her to stay, but she had a way of living that suited her and she was happy with it.

Even though they knew they may never see T-dog again and rarely saw Michonne, they were family and would always be welcome.

* * *

**PHOENIX**

Rick got reflective occasionally, especially on certain anniversary dates, and he would think back over their journey.

Over the course of the struggle, they had gained many allies, some of whom had become friends and some of whom had become family. They knew they were lucky. Not everyone came out of this with as much as they did.

He would remember both the good and the bad times. There were the good times like finding the farm, finding the prison, PRD, and, maybe the best of all, the birth of the next generation. There were the bad times like Carl getting shot, losing the prison, and the Governor and all of the evil that came with him. Then there were the people they lost: Sophia, Lori, Carol, Glenn and Daryl, among others.

He would think of the early days of immunity, when they first found out it even existed. He would remember how they talked, or rather joked, about Glenn & Daryl's immunity being passed on to save others. And how, ironically, it was their _lack_ of immunity that ultimately saved everyone. To this day, he has never witnessed such brave and selfless acts.

He knew very few probably would ever know the names of the men that performed those acts. Sure, there may be an obscure mention somewhere along the way in a history book not yet written, but it was unlikely. Yes, Rick would have liked to make it sure everyone knew who saved them. He wanted them know who gave them the gift of having a second chance, but the realist in Rick knew differently. There were probably thousands of men and women who performed incredible acts for the betterment of others, yet received no recognition and never were mentioned in the history books.

In the end, it didn't really matter to Rick. _He_ knew and he would make sure his children knew and that their children would know, and they would make sure _their_ children would know. He was a better man for having known Glenn and Daryl and it was his mission to live every day to the fullest in deference to their sacrifice. To do less would be a disservice.

It was close but the human race did not vanish from the face of the earth. We did not become extinct. We may have been through trial by fire, but like the Phoenix, the human race was able to rise from the ashes. And it did so tethered to the souls of heroes.

The End


End file.
